The Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS), Kogi chapter, has said that 2,871 additional teachers are needed to fill in the gaps in secondary schools in the state.
The association urged Gov. Ahmed Ododo to approve the recruitment of 2,871 teachers to address the deficit.
Mr Emejeh Ogwu, ASUSS Chairman, made the disclosure at the 2025 World Teachers’ Day celebration in Lokoja.
Ogwu said that the dearth of teachers in the secondary schools was already weighing negatively on the state’s educational development and standard.
According to him, in the last employment, the state government had only 1,108 teachers that were recruited.
“We will never stop appreciating the state government for the recruitment of 1,108 teachers in 2023 out of the 3,979 teachers actually approved for employment by the immediate past administration of Alh. Yahaya Bello.
“We want to put it on record that at the time the above number of teachers were recruited, public secondary schools in Kogi were in dire need of 9,948 teachers.
“Between the time of the approval and now, the situation has even become more critical as a result of death, retirement, and the movement of teachers to areas where pastures are greener,” Ogwu said.
The ASUSS chairman appealed to the Federal Government to do more to further strengthen the Naira in order to bring down the prices of basic commodities and enhance the real value of teachers’ take-home pay.
He said that the 2025 World Teachers’ Day celebration provided an opportunity for the teachers to reflect on the support they need to fully deploy their talents and vocation and to rethink the way forward for the advancement of the teaching profession globally.
He also appealed to the state government to pay leave bonuses to affected teachers and effect the harmonisation of pension payments for retirees.
The ASUSS chairman lamented the deplorable state of infrastructure in most secondary schools and urged the government to extend its infrastructural development to secondary schools.
He also appealed to the government to consider implementing a revolving motorcycle loan scheme for secondary school teachers to enhance their mobility.
The chairman, however, appreciated the state government for its efforts in paying teachers’ salaries and pensions promptly and implementing the minimum wage.
In his goodwill message, Mr Onu Johnson-Edoka, Special Adviser to Gov. Ododo on Labour Matters, expressed gratitude to secondary school teachers, acknowledging their significant contributions to the country.
Edoka said teaching should be viewed as a collaborative profession involving teachers, parents, and the community, urging teachers to teach in class, parents to moderate their children, and the community to influence the children’s lives.
In his remarks, the state Head of Service (HOS), Dr Elijah Adeiza, said the state government, being a listening and teachers’-friendly one, was doing everything possible to assuage their plight as he revealed that the request for more teachers had already been presented to the Governor.
