Kunle Adelabu
The Chairman of the Nigerian Teachers Union (NUT), Ikorodu branch, Comrade Oluwafemi Fakolade, JP., has rated his branch number in Nigeria, following the unprecedented achievements of the union in about two decades.
Fakolade, who has been nothing but excellent in his administration of the union in the last eight years, took the mantle from his predecessor, Asiwaju Lateef Oduguwa who also recorded many outstanding achievements in his two terms of eight years as the branch’s chairman.
There’s no doubt today that Ikorodu branch, with a massive edifice as NUT House, gym, loan scheme for teachers, easy buy vehicles, housing estate for teachers, vibrant cooperative system, discounted sales of household items from time – to – time, massive annual celebration of the Teachers’ Day, award system for teachers and outstanding records of performance by teachers at the state and national levels among others, is highly rated in the country.
The union chairman, who was last week promoted to the Directorship level in the Lagos State Teaching Service Commission, spoke with THE IMPACT at the retirement football novelty match organised in honour of the outgoing Tutor – General/Permanent Secretary, Education District II, Mrs Anike Adekanye, at Keme Balogun Senior Secondary School, Ibeshe.
“Let me first of all thank God that we have been able to do a lot of programs in the last eight years. We started out in 2017 with seven -point agenda and today, we have been able to do over sixty-five items, far way beyond our original manifesto, and I hope to leave the union stronger.
“Today, we are rated as number one not only in Lagos State, but also in the whole of Nigeria, and Africa as a whole. As you are aware, we are the first local government in the whole of Lagos State and Nigeria, to take teachers out of Nigeria, on international trip, We took 133 teachers to Republic of Benin on holidays. This is unprecedented in the annal of teaching profession in Nigeria and Africa.
“In the next two weeks, we will be going to Abeokuta, for five days to explore the rock city”, Fakolade added
When asked about his expectations from his successor, having improved tremendously on the achievements of his own predecessor, Fakola said:
“You ask me a very fundamental question; the question on the lips of all teachers, because, to God be the glory, we have raised the standards. We have raised the bar, and teachers are not expecting less from anyone or administration coming to succeed us. I will tell you that, by the grace of God, we don’t have a leader, rather, we usually have a team and the team coming after us will take the union to the next level,” he assured.
