Teachers Day: Oyebanji declares zero tolerance for exam fraud

Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji, on Saturday, stressed the resolve of his administration to stamp out examination malpractices to maintain the integrity of the educational sector in the state.

This was just as the governor presented a total of N47.8 million as gifts to teachers who emerged best in different categories during this year’s Teachers’ Day celebrations in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

The teachers also used the opportunity of the event, which took place at Ekiti Parapo Pavilion, Ado Ekiti, to pass a vote of confidence in the education policies of the Oyebanji administration.

They hinged their endorsement for the governor on the need to further give him an unfettered opportunity to consolidate various programmes and policies being implemented to revamp education in the state.

Cash Award

At the event with the theme: “Valuing Teachers’ Voices: Towards a New Social Contract for Education,” Modupe Folayemi of Saint Francis’ Primary School, Igbara Odo, and Odunayo Oriloye of Notre Dame Grammar School, Usi Ekiti, received N6 million each, as the best teachers in primary and secondary schools respectively.

Two teachers got N3 million each as first runners-up and four received N1.5 million each as second runners-up. 26 teachers were rewarded with N200,000 each as consolation prizes.

The venue of the event was turned into a carnival, as teachers across educational cadres, adorned in Aso Ebi (uniform), electrified the arena in celebration of the annual event and praised the governor for what they described as his teacher-friendly policies.

NUT chair speaks

In his address at the event, the Chairperson, Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Ekiti State, Daodu Bamidele, announced that all the teachers are appreciative of the governor’s positively impactful educational policies and pronounced that they are solidly backing his reelection in 2026.

Mr Daodu commended Mr Oyebanji for his positive contributions to strengthening the sector, urging him to initiate policies that will checkmate brain-drain in education and retain the best brains within the system.

To accomplish the foregoing, he sought the immediate implementation of 65 years as retirement age for teachers, as obtainable in some states of the federation, to give his colleagues job security and relevance.

“All the teachers in our dear state are appreciative of what the governor has done. He has paid some of the arrears owed by the past administration and also initiated new ones. For the 2026 governorship election, we want to say that we are solidly behind him,” he said.

In his submission, his counterpart in the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS), Sola Adigun, advocated that secondary school teachers should be given the leeway to ascend to grade level 17, for better career progression.

Governor speaks

In his address, Governor Oyebanji, represented by the Deputy Governor, Monisade Afuye, said his government has ensured expeditious and timely payment of salaries, deductions, and approval of multimillion naira worth of housing and vehicle loans to motivate the teachers.

The governor, who described the teachers as the fortress of the education sector, promised to provide all the necessary incentives that could propel and buoy Ekiti’s rating in educational advancement of the country.

Worried by reported cases of examination malfeasance in the system, the governor warned that his government would not tolerate examination malpractices under any guise, promising to wield the big stick against promoters of such sordid action in the state.

The governor said: “I want to sternly warn school managers at all levels that government has zero tolerance for examination malpractice and investigations are ongoing to look into some of the allegations of connivance in the promotion of examination malpractice in some schools which led to the seizure of SSCE certificate examination.

“I haven’t sent any school manager to impress me with bogus results to prove anything to me. We are not in phoney competition to earn fake glory that is cancerous to the future of our young ones.

“Ekiti has a great name as a land of scholarship, learning and integrity; we will not tolerate any unwholesome and unethical practice from any school or staff that could tarnish this glorious reputation,” Mr Oyebanji stated.

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On efforts being devised to fortify the sector, Mr Oyebanji said besides payment of salaries and other emoluments, that teachers were being trained locally and internationally to sharpen their mental horizons and increase their propensity for better delivery.

The governor applauded the Union of Teachers, Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools, All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools and Association of Public Schools Headteachers of Nigeria for their partnership, professionalism and cooperation at all times.

The governor further said: “It is on record that our administration has initiated car and housing loans for primary school teachers, ensured distribution of laptop computers to public secondary schools, colleges and special schools to mitigate the consequential personnel gap and regular disbursement of car/housing loans to eligible secondary school teachers, among others.

“Through the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment, a World Bank assured project, many of our public schools have been refurbished and perimeter fences have been constructed in line with our safe school initiative.

“We have also fulfilled our promise to address the issue of career progression for graduate teachers in primary schools by approving their advancement from grade level 15 to 16, to bring them to a parallel peak with their counterparts in the Civil Service.”