By: Andy White
Sequel to the 2023 Presidential Elections the All Progressives Congress and her Presidential Candidate now President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR has campaigned vigorously for among many other things reforms in the educational system. The President had promised amongst other things an increased budgetry allocation to the education sector, compliance with the agreements reached between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the extension of age or service year for teachers in the nation’s public service. In-keeping to this campaign promise the President had in Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting approved the extension of service years for teachers from 35years to 40years and age limit from 60years to 65years effective from 2023.
Following the approval for the extension of service age and years for teachers by the Federal Government His Excellency the Governor of Imo State had approved the domestication of the approval of the President which was made known in a letter signed by the Head of Service of Imo State Barr Raymond Uchenna and dated 5th November, 2023.
To further strength this directive the Imo State House of Assembly considered the Bill on the Domestication of the Harmonized Teachers Service and Age Retirement Law 2023.
Presenting the Bill , the Majority Leader of the 10th Imo State House of Assembly and member for Owerri West State Constituency Hon Kanayo Onyemechi expressed optimism that the bill when passed will not only engage the teachers who would have gone into retirement five years earlier but would also strengthen the Imo State school system not to immediately throw away their best hands.
Contributors to the bill included Hon Innocent Ikpamezie, Hon Azodo,Hon Ugochukwu Obodo,and Hon Barr Chisom Ojukwu,all applauded the need to localize the bill for the benefit of Imo State teachers.
In the Committee of the whole house the Speaker Rt Hon Chike Olemgbe took the members clause by clause through the bill before passage as he asked the Clerk of the House Chinelo Emeghara Esq to produce a clean copy for the Governor’s assent.
