The event celebrated Ebonyi State teachers, whom Dr Otuu described as “national builders,” but also served as a stark platform to highlight their enduring suffering and neglect.
Dr Otuu, a highly accomplished scholar with two bachelor’s, two master’s, and two doctoral degrees in computing and education, and a history of teaching at all levels in Nigeria, spoke passionately about the need to prioritize teacher welfare.
The central message of the day was encapsulated in Dr Otuu’s powerful analogy: “Education serves as a bus, teachers are the drivers, pupils are the passengers, and the driver is more important than the passenger.”
He argued that while successive governments have focused on rescuing “passengers” (pupils) through scholarships and infrastructural development, the “drivers” (teachers) have been left “hungry” and unhappy since the return to democracy in 1999.
“We are not talking about human wants, we are talking about the basic human needs: food, shelter, clothing,” Dr Otuu stated, citing research he conducted with 1,500 Ebonyi teachers that showed annual recognition would positively impact their mental wellbeing.
To illustrate the financial plight of teachers, he recounted heartbreaking tales of educators rationing food with rulers and owning only three sets of clothing for the week.
In a significant move, Dr. Otuu personally gifted a sum of 1,000,000 naira to Awaza Alice, the oldest serving teacher in the state, to purchase a piece of land, noting that many teachers retire as “perpetual debtors” unable to afford shelter.
The celebration, which hosted over 600 persons, included the presentation of laptops to nine accredited teachers to address the need for digital literacy in the profession and sharing 3000 naira each to all the teachers for their transport.
Dr Otuu urged other well-meaning Nigerians to join his philanthropic efforts, which he hopes to continue annually.
Beyond financial aid, Dr Otuu presented several key policy recommendations to the government, including: Social Recognition: Implementing preferential treatment for teachers in public spaces like bank halls or bus parks to make them “feel valued.”
Mortgage Opportunities: Opening channels for housing finance and educational loans for teachers’ children.
Harmonisation of Education Tiers: Calling for policies to make Colleges of Education function as independent university bodies under the National Universities Commission (NUC) to harmonise salaries and end the disparity between university, polytechnic, and college lecturers.
The event also featured contributions from Prof. Godwin Onu of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, who strongly supported the call for improved teacher motivation.
“Motivation is at the core of public service and at the core of performance,” Prof. Onu asserted, lamenting that teachers, unlike other professions like the military or judiciary, reach the peak of their careers and are still “looking for something to eat.”
Dr Otuu also used the platform to honour past and present state leaders-Dr. Sam Egwu, Chief Martin Nwanchor Elechi, Hon. David Nwaeze Umahi, and Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, for their various contributions to education and infrastructure, while maintaining that teacher happiness remained a missing piece in the development puzzle.
The event concluded with an award ceremony recognising several educationists and leaders, including the current Governor, Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, was presented with a portrait reflecting his image.
Beneficiaries expressed profound gratitude to Dr Otuu for his “kind gesture” and for bringing the plight of Ebonyi teachers to the forefront.