Don’t Abandon Your Certificates In Your School, Principal Urges Students

By Oguns Sammy
The Principal of Dore Numa College, Warri, Delta State, Comrade Ejoh Dimes Eyinmisan, has charged students who have written the Basic School (Junior Secondary), West African School Certificate Examination(WASCE) and National Examination Council Examination(NECO) to always collect their original certificates instead of abandoning them in their various schools of graduation as it is dangerous to do so.

Speaking to Oasis Magazine on Wednesday in his office, Comrade Eyinmisa said students may finally be without certificates in case of a fire incident in such a school just as he said in the riverine areas, should there be flood,such abandoned certificates may be destroyed as there is nothing the principal of such a school can do.

He said’:”Many of the students who wrote these examinations and abandoned their original certificates may not know the danger. in the event of flood as experienced in the riverine areas years ago, such certificates may be washed away and such a student may not have certificates.”

He therefore called on the students in different higher institutions to go to their various schools where they wrote such examinations to collect their original certificates.

The education expert said the certificates are very important as one day, they may need them for one thing or the other especially in the place of employment.

The Principal went down memory lane to cite examples of how many teachers, workers (civil servants) were running helter skelter to look for their Primary Six Leaving Certificates when demanded by the state and federal government some years ago, adding that many of them could not lay hands on them due to this abandonment. He therefore called on parents to prevail on the children and wards to act in this regard.

While commending the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Bahari for extending the retirement service from 35 to 40 years and retirement age from 60 to 65 years.

He charged the Governor’s Forum to key into this federal goverment’s policy.

In flash a back, he said when the federal government introduced the recent minimum wage based on the outcome of the meetings of the Governor’s Forum, many state governors said they could not pay adding, it is only Delta State Governor, Senator( Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa that is able to implement this policy of the federal government till date.

He said’: “I want to appeal to the state Governor’s Forum that this should not be like that of the minimum wage which was turned down by them (Governor’s Forum), they should key into the 35 years of service and 65 years of age of retirement of the federal government respectively to give good footing to teachers and entire civil servants in the state.

Comrade Ejoh Dimes Eyinmin lamented the way teachers are treated with disdain in Nigeria, saying in European countries, they (teachers) are highly appreciated by the society in all ramifications. He said : “Outside Nigeria, teachers are treated as number one citizens, they pay them well but here in Nigeria, the reverse is the case.”

The seasoned educationist commended the Delta State Governor Senator (Dr) Ifeanyi Okowa for being able to pay the minimum wage tor civil servants in the state and urged him to continue with this good work in this regard.

Other issues Comrade Eyinmisan spoke about include: the policy of Federal Government of giving automatic admission and tuition free for kids of teachers at place of work, stipends or special allowances to be received by education students of bachelor degrees, special bursary to be enjoyed by education students of colleges and universities among others which he said, if they are implemented, would stimulate people especially men to study education instead of seeing it as only female’s profession just as he said it would boost the moral of teachers in the country.