Benin – Gov. Adams Oshiomhole of
Edo has explained that his
government took a tough stance
against erring teachers, because
even “the Bible says he who does
not work, does not eat.’’ Oshiomhole said this at an Inter-
denominational Service
organised by the Christian
Association of Nigeria(CAN) for
him in Benin City on Saturday, as
part of activities to usher in a second tenure in office on
Monday. Oshiomhole said he prays to God
everyday to have the courage
to do the right thing for the
people of the state. The service attracted the cream
of the society in Edo State
including former Head of state,
General Yakubu Gowon,
chieftains of the Action Congress
of Nigeria, market women, Youths and students. The event was held at the hard
court of the Samuel Ogbemudia
stadium. On the plea by the Chairman of
the CAN, Edo Chapter, Bishop
Peter Imasuen, for the recall of
the sacked teachers, Oshiomhole
said: “the prayer I ask for
everyday is for God to give me the courage and wisdom to take
the right decision. “The Chairman of CAN has asked
me to undo all that we have done.
I am a Catholic and every day I
ask God to forgive me my sins,
even as I forgive those who sin
against me. “ I appreciate the power of
forgiveness but the Bible says the
labourer deserves his wages and
the Bible also says that those
who do not work should not eat. “ And these are the challenges of
leadership. The Bible also tells us
that if a finger leads you to
commit sin, it is better to cut it
off. “ If a teacher would lead us to
commit sin we better dismiss that
teacher. “For Edo to work, all its parts
must work. Every man and woman
of age must work. That is why I
take my work seriously. “Every leader must device the
right means under the guidance
of God to deploy the carrot and
the stick. “Just as much as you desire to
honour or reward those who
helped to deliver service,you must
also find the courage to bring to
line those who think they can
earn without working” he explained. Oshiomhole, remarked that the
courage to do the two was
what he asked for and the
courage to define the limit, and
that “is what has guided me”. The Governor said “it is
important that I also clarify that
it hurts me when I have to say to
a man who voted for me only
four months ago that his job is
over. “Ninety- eight percent of those
teachers or more voted for me. I
actually met some of them and
know some by their names . “I know they are relations of ACN
leaders. Even yesterday, I learnt
that one is the wife of a very
senior ACN leader, a very
personal friend. “But my understanding of my
brief is that, if I don’t have the
courage to instil discipline in our
public service, the capacity of
the government to deliver will be
severely weakened”. Oshiomhole, explained that all
those beautiful schools will come
to naught if the teachers are in
Onitsha when they are supposed
to be in the classroom, adding
that “I worry about the future of our state. “If we must have a work force
that would produce men and
women who have the capacity
and the skill to contribute to the
growth and development of
Nigeria.. “We must pay maximum attention
to access, quality of public
schools with teachers that are
ready to teach and impact
knowledge in an environment
that is enabling” the governor noted. In his message, Most Rev.(Dr.)
Friday John Imakhai said the
victory of the governor and his
deputy were well deserved. He said “in view of the
monumental and positive impact
of the policies of his
administration on the lives of the
people of the state, evident in all
spheres of our common life. “ It was a leadership predicated
on a well thought out and
faithfully executed vision and
transformation of the state”. The Cleric. who took his text
from 2nd Kings, Chapter 18 v 1:8
with the theme: “Godliness in the
Act of Governance” said the
governor’s visionary leadership
was there for all to see. “The massive votes of the people
were an expression of your vision
and a clear mandate to enable
you continue the good work you
have started. “What the people saw in Edo was
purpose driven and result
oriented leadership poised
towards good governance and
service delivery, rather than
leadership reduced to a huge joke. “Good governance is
participatory, consensus
oriented, achievement oriented,
accountable, responsive. By
implication the views of the
minority are taken into consideration in the process of
decision making.” In his remark, Gowon expressed
delight that the people of Edo
voted massively for the governor. Gowon said: “I am here not only
to congratulate the governor
but the good people of Edo
State for casting their votes for
him to be governor for a second
time. “It is certainly the choice of God.
The result of the election shows
that it is one of the best in the
country. “It reminds me of the support I
had during the Nigeria crisis.
Bendel State was one of the
states that gave me the greatest
support.” Gowon also expressed
confidence in the ability of the
governor. “I can assure you that he would
do his best to surpass what he
did in the first term.” He told the governorm, “you
should look higher after this.
That is our prayer.” The church later said special
prayers for the Governor and
family, the Deputy Governor and
his family, the Judiciary and
Legislature, the nation, the Oba
of Benin and Traditional Rulers.
www.vanguardngr.com/2012/11/oshiomhole-tells-church-why-erring-teachers-were-sacked/