According to
Mrs. Emete Tonukari, CSR/Sustainability Manager, Nigerian Breweries PLC, the
panel of judges which includes eminent Nigerian professionals, academicians and
careerists will make public the list of 33 winners from the state level of the
competition anytime from now.
It will be
recalled that the Nigerian Breweries-Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund
announced the Panel of Judges for the on-going Maltina Teacher-of-the-Year
initiative listing eminent Nigerian academics and professionals in the panel. Members
of the panel, which is chaired by Prof. Pat Utomi, Founder/CEO, Centre for
Values in Leadership; also includes: Mrs. Mopelola O. Omoegun, Professor of
Education, University of Lagos, Prof. Thomas I. Ofuya - Vice Chancellor,
Wellspring University and Member, Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian
Universities and Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi, Chairman, Editorial Board, ThisDay
Newspapers. Others are: Dr. (Mrs.) Abdulrahman Binta Fatima, National
President, All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools; and
Professor Tijjani Abubakar, Dean, Faculty of Education, Ahmadu Bello
University.
The panel was
saddled with the responsibility of judging the entries to select winners at the
maiden edition of the initiative.
Welcoming the
Panel of Judges to its inaugural meeting, which held at the headquarters of Nigerian
Breweries in Iganmu, Lagos, the company’s Corporate Affairs Adviser, Mr. Kufre
Ekanem stated that they were selected to serve on the panel based on their
pedigree, uprightness, professionalism and dedication to duty. “We are glad you
honoured our invitation to serve as a judge on this panel. We requested your
support on this initiative because over time, you have each earned a good and
respectable place in your chosen professions. So, your input is an added
credence to our plan to celebrate Nigerian teachers with the Maltina-Teacher-of-the-Year
initiative”, he said.
Ekanem
reiterated that the essence of the Maltina-Teacher-of-the- Year initiative is
“to identify, showcase, and reward exceptional professionalism in order to
encourage our teachers and restore the pride, dignity and respect of the
profession. It is also conceived to inspire people in the profession,
especially to make teaching aspirational to the wider populace”. He explained
that the job of the panel is to score the validated entries received from
across the country to determine state and overall winners at the inaugural
edition of the initiative.
Corroborating him,
the Human Resources Director of NB, Mr. Victor Famuyibo said the initiative is
very dear to the company. “This initiative is very dear to our heart because of
the important role teachers occupy in rightly moulding young members of
society. Teaching should be encouraged to thrive. The pride and dignity of the
profession must be restored. It was there before, and we believe we can assist
to bring it back. That is why the Maltina-Teacher-of-the-Year initiative is a
step in the right direction,” he said.
Famuyibo said he
was optimistic that the judges would bring the lofty standards they have
attained in their respective professions to bear on the judging process. “We
believe that anyone that makes it through this distinguished panel would have
eminently qualified to be named the Maltina-Teacher-of- the-Year.”
Responding,
Prof. (Mrs.) Mopelola O. Omoegun, who disclosed that she had taught at all
levels of education in Nigeria, said “It is encouraging when people talk about
celebrating and rewarding exceptional teachers because that is one important
way we can enhance our educational system. This project is a step in the right
direction,” she enthused.
Also, Mr.
Aisuedion Abel Akhere, an Assistant. Director in the Department of Basic &
Secondary Education in the Federal Ministry of Education who represented the
Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, commended Nigerian
Breweries-Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund for the initiative adding that
“the Ministry is proud of this initiative.”
In his comments,
the Chairman of the panel, Professor Utomi explained that “the initiative is
immensely laudable and would go a long way in restoring the pride of the
teaching profession”.
Nigerian
Breweries-Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund recently instituted the Maltina
Teacher-of-the-Year Award initiative with prizes worth N50 million annually, to
reward commitment and diligence to duty by exceptional teachers across the
country. A grand ceremony is scheduled for October 12, 2015 to award prizes to
teachers who emerge winners. Ekanem explained that “On October 12 when the
prizes will be awarded, the teaching profession will be put on a scale and
celebrated in a grand event. Teachers are used to watching other professions
celebrated on TV, now is their time to be celebrated,” he declared.
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