World Teachers’ Day: Implementing Safe School Initiative As Best Gift

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I was moved to tears when members of the House of Representatives on Tuesday took turns to appreciate their days in schools and related fond memories with their teachers in commemoration of the 2022 World Teachers’ Day. Despite the public show of love for teachers on the floor of the Green Chamber, something seemed to be missing on that day, there was no mention of threat and danger terrorism pose to school environments and the attendant risks to teachers and learners.
I couldn’t but regret that many young Nigerians may be denied the opportunities to explore the greatness nature has deposited in them and may not have the benefit of paying the kind of glowing tributes our lawmakers paid to their own teachers last week. To this end, in addition to all the recommendations by the House on the said day, I wish to suggest that the Federal Government of Nigeria should review its security architecture to address the deteriorating security situation in the country especially it concerns terrorism and violent attacks on teachers, learners and schools.
The registrar and chief executive officer of Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), Prof. Josiah Olusegun Ajiboye, had in a paper presented at the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) National Delegates Conference last month, urged the Federal Government of Nigeria to increase domestic education expenditure to 50 per cent over the next two years as committed to at the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) Education Summit.
According to Ajiboye, Nigeria, in an effort to address the issue of attacks on schools, was one of the first 37 countries to endorse the Safe Schools Declaration (SSD). The SSD is an inter-governmental political commitment that was opened for endorsement by countries at an international conference.
The declaration, according to him provides countries the opportunity to express political support for the protection of students, teachers, and schools during times of armed conflict. He added that the importance of the continuation of education during armed conflict; and the implementation of the Guidelines for Protecting Schools and Universities from Military Use during Armed Conflict requires
the government to implement to the fullest the Safe Schools Declaration guidelines endorsed by Nigeria in 2015 and ratified by the President in 2019.
He also advocated that the Federal, State and Local Education Authorities should facilitate the immediate implementation of the National Policy on Safety, Security and Violence-Free Schools (NPSSVFS) by making adequate budgetary provisions.
I am happy that President Muhammadu Buhari while presenting the 2023 budgetary estimates to the National Assembly on Friday mentioned that a total of N15.2 billion has been specifically provided in the proposed budget to scale up current measures to provide safer and conducive learning environment in our schools. I am optimistic that subsequent administrations will do better.
But beyond the safety of teachers, the House initiated a good move by seeking better emoluments for them and calling for better social security in their favour.
The NUT had last Wednesday decried the non-implementation of the N30,000 national minimum wage by some state governments.
The union’s National President, Titus Amba, spoke at an event to mark the 2022 World Teachers’ Day in Abuja.
Amba also decried the failure of the government of President Buhari to implement the new teacher’s special salary scale.
He said, “The basic and secondary education sub-sectors are faced with serious challenges. These include non-implementation of the N30, 000.00 minimum wage for teachers in some states, shortage of teachers, poor infrastructure, lack of instructional materials, insecurity in schools, inadequate funding and poor conditions of service in general.
“It is regrettable that this deplorable state of education and poor working conditions of teachers adversely affect education service delivery, especially in the public sector.”
If the executive arm of government will consider the resolutions of the House of Representatives, I share the sentiment of the NUT national president and also believe that Nigerian teachers deserve better attention from the government.
All thanks to Hon. Dachung Bagos (PDP, Plateau), who at the last minute raised a point of order, which was converted to a motion in recognition of the sacrifices of the Nigerian teachers.
In the words of an American historian and a member of the Adams political family, who descended from two U. Presidents, “A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.”

Eulogising Chief Solomon Daushe Lar, The Emancipator
It was Bishop David Oyedepo, the highly respected clergy and President of the Living Faith Church worldwide who said, “ If you want to see what we see, then do what we do”. This is no doubt, a very profound and strong statement that only strong people who know their worth and stuff could say. These kind of statements are not just said by anybody, but by those with strong actions of convictions. What are they seeing and what are the rest of the people seeing in those who are doing the seeing? They must surely be seeing some things that are not visible to every eye. These are people who believe in extra ordinary things of life, the details of life that links and affects others, the most critical aspects of life not given the usual attention by the majority of humanity.
These are people who go out of their ways to do rare and exceptional things, out of inconvenience and sometimes discomfort, to touch lives in many positive ways. These are people that feel for others and can do anything to help others in need, regardless or what it can cost them. Baba Chief Solomon Daushep Lar, the second republic executive governor of old Plateau State, no doubt, belongs to this group of people, the sacrificients. A Samaritan by nature, Baba Lar, as fondly called, is a household name in Nigeria’s political space.
Whichever partisan divide one belongs to in Nigeria, Lar is a familiar name. There is no politician in Nigeria that does not know him nor have not heard about him and his peers like Jim Nwobodo, the late Abubakar Rimi, Chief Bola Ige, Sam Mbakwe, Atiku Abubakar, Prof Jerry Gana, etc.. Lar, who died about 10 years ago, was celebrated in national colours few days ago for his patriotic and selfless contributions to the development of democracy in the country. He is being celebrated for serving his people and the nation well and leaving behind indelible legacies ad footprints that are cherished by the people. The truth is that everyone wants to be celebrated but not everyone is ready to do what is needed to be celebrated. That is why not every one in life is celebrated, but only those who go extra miles to do extra things in exceptional ways. To each one is given grace by God in different areas of calling. And while few are diligent to keep the precepts through sacrifices and pains, others don’t cope with the precepts and pains of sacrifices and therefore lose the bearing.
Even in death, the fame of the late governor of Plateau State, Baba Lar continue to soar. Those who had wished to live progressively like him are bewildered with the kind of encomiums that eminent Nigerian leaders keep pouring on him. The man lived and died for the reasons he so much believed in, that is, the promotion of the cause of humanity. And he did that through politics. It must be stated that Baba Lar, like any other mortal, is not a perfect being neither does anyone claimed perfection for him, but he lived a genuine life, practically exceptional, a life of human discipline which was founded on mutual self respect, diligence, tolerance, simplicity, patience, humility, courage, godliness and brotherhood. He set out for serious commitment to life and politics and prepared himself for the rigours. He sacrificed to built friendship and brotherhood across the nation. Baba Lar played politics of substance and humanity. He was a man generously gifted in patience and kindness, generosity and simplicity, a trait that is very scarce in today’s politics in Nigeria.
Many years after his demise, Baba Lar continues to remain tall in the hearts of men. He played politics of friendship knowing that no one can live in isolation even when the world was yet a global village. He had a picture of what the world would look like in years ahead, hence his avowed determination to built bridges across the strata of humanity to prepare for what was to come. So much to say about him. He has become a rock in today’s political Nigeria and a reference point to all categories of political players who point at his credibility to draw attention to themselves. He was a man of uncommon political sense who knows the value of living and working together with fellow human beings. He lived a lifestyle that glorified God.
Few days ago the nation gathered in Abuja at the NAF Conference Centre to honour the emancipator. The occasion was the public presentation of his autobiography and tributes,” The Chronicles of the Rainbow” where the former governor of old Plateau State, pioneer Minister of police affairs and founding national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Nigeria was immortalised. The number one citizen himself, President Muhamadu Buhari was there. He was represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Boss Mustapha. Former President Goodluck Jonathan, one of the men with Solomon Lar’s kind of heart, touch and humanity was also there as chairman of the occasion with his Vice, Arch Namadi Sambo. Former Senate Presidents David Mark and Bukola Saraki were there.
Former Governors of Plateau State, Senator Joshua Dariye and Senator Jonah David Jang with their incumbent colleague, Barr Simon Lalong were all there to celebrate the lives and times of the emancipator. It was a rare political gathering that attracted key political players such as the Presidential candidates in the 2023 elections, national Chairmen of PDP,APC and other parties, former and serving federal and state legislators, Ministers, governors, clergy ,students, traditional and community leaders,etc.
For us in Plateau State ,Baba Lar was next to the late JD Gomwalk who took on the infrastructural development of the vast areas of Plateau and present day Nasarawa state headlong. No civilian governor did what Lar has done on the Plateau, though each succeeding government did its own best. We honor him because he brought a lot of changes to governance even as an opposition NPP state. He was a ranking governor with a class, loud sound voice who courageously brought creativity, exposure and dexterity to Plateau and connected the state to national political grid. He was not a local champion that was concerned about issues of tribe, ethnicity, religion and party . He worked with many people outside Plateau who occupied sensitive leadership positions and that gave Plateau a great national image. Under him, the escalating scenario of gross tribalism witnessed today was totally absent. You can count the number of his tribal people that occupied government positions then, unlike what we see today.
We pray for Baba’s great and kind soul to continue to rest in peace. In paradise Baba Lar will be happy that the people of Plateau and Nigeria have adequately honored him. He can never be forgotten in a hurry. The plan to set up a leadership institute in his remembrance is highly commendable. Kudos to Mama Prof Ambassador Mary Lar,the lovely children Dr Chalya, Rt Hon Beni Lar, all nuclear and extended family members.