Chief Yakubu Godwins, the National Secretary of All Nigerian Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), has advised teachers to do their work diligently, saying their passion for the job has its reward.
Godwins gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Monday in Lokoja, during the monitoring of schools resumption in Kogi State.
Godwins, who is the Principal of Government Day Secondary School (GDSS), Adankolo, Lokoja, urged Nigerian teachers to put in their best regardless of any negative appraisal
“You must put in your best regardless; we are called to this job, we are born into it, and we are always working towards giving out the best.
‘“So, I call on my colleagues in Kogi and in Nigeria to always put in their best because these children are the leaders of tomorrow, and they are the ones to look after us when we are old.
‘“So we have to do our best regardless of the negative impression from any angle,” he said.
On turnout for resumption, the principal told NAN that his school had about 95 per cent staff attendance and about 70 per cent for students.
He applauded Kogi Ministry of Education, under the leadership of Mr Wemi Jones, for being able to dispel the earlier rumour that resumption had been postponed.
He, therefore, urged parents and guardians in the state to release their wards for commencement of school activities.
Godwins commended Gov. Yahaya Bello and the commissioner for making Kogi State Education Law 2020 a reality, saying that several states in the country were yet to have an education law in place.
“We thank God that Kogi would always set the pace because of the competent people we have at the helm of leadership.
“It is a good beginning for us here and I think we will make it work,” he said.
The principal further commended the governor over the ongoing construction of the new GYB Model Science Secondary School.
Also speaking, the Vice-Principal (Academic) in the school, Mr Ayeni Jacob, said the turnout of the students was very encouraging as teachers were on ground to commence teaching.
Two of the students, Lukman Muhammed and Precious Adejoh, both in SS3, told NAN that they were very happy to be back to school after Christmas and New Year holidays.
“It has been a while we were away from school, and returning is a great pleasure, we are happy that we are not locked down at home because of COVID-19,” Adejoh said.
Other schools visited by NAN included Muslim Community Secondary School, St. Thomas Aquinas College, Lokogoma Primary School, Kingdom Heritage Model School (KHMS), among several other schools in Lokoja.
NAN reports that all the schools visited witnessed large attendance of teachers, but had the average turnout of students. (NAN)
