Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu in his office
By David Royal
Hours after Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu pledged to give 20 cars to deserving teachers across the six education districts in the state, some concerned Nigerians on Twitter have come out to query why he should gift cars instead of increasing the salaries of teachers to enable them buy choice of cars with their own money.
According to Vanguard’s report with the News Agency of Nigeria, the governor made the promise on Wednesday during the virtual training of the teachers tagged ”Eko Educators Webinar Performance Series 3.3”.
While speaking, Sanwo-Olu said teachers are key change agents who will be remembered for shaping the future generation of leaders.
”This is the era of technology and it is working well for us. Technology has become a very strong tool that we cannot do away with in our everyday lives. With technology, we can think locally and act globally,” he said.
Reacting to Sanwo-Olu’s promise to gift cars to deserving teachers in Lagos, Mr Francis Adeyemi @AdeyemiFrancis4 commented on Twitter “The point is not for politicians to “give” cars to “deserving” teachers. The point is for good teachers to be paid well enough to buy their own cars. This is how relationships of dependency are cultivated between politician and citizen in Nigeria.”
Mr KC @Kc76897484 supported Francis’s comment saying “If they are well paid, they buy their cars and be able to pay their bills, moreover car maintenance too, but when you give them cars and not well paid, it’s like adding more to their problems.”
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Another Twitter user, Mr Martha Onoriode @MarthaOnoriode in his opinion called it a misplaced priority “Misplaced priority Mr governor. Cars that will be driven on terrible roads. What about maintenance? Are their take-home pay sustainable to the extent of maintaining the cars? What about fuelling? How many of them live in a good environment with adequate parking space?”
@CAPT_DAMENDRA “As against giving cars to your anointed few, what happens to improving the pay package and general welfare of teachers at large?”
And Mr Sanswalexino @sanswalexino sees it as “an incentive pleasant enough to our ears but this isn’t what all teachers would really appreciate. It’s not possible to give to competent teachers and those considered as “deserving ” may be very far from those who actually deserve it.”
@patijy reacted saying “Will the government maintain and also fuel the car for the deserving teacher? You are better off paying good wage that will enable the teachers have a good living.”
@slkie “Sir, use that money to give them proper health insurance, or better pension benefits or even do drainage to prevent their houses from sinking inside flood!!!”
