The Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan has challenged teachers to be more dedicated to duty and make necessary sacrifice that will enhance the knowledge passed to their pupils.

Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan who decried the mass failure of candidates nationwide in examination especially at the senior school certificate level, said teachers should confront headlong the multifaceted problems in the education sector and partner with government to arrest the ugly trend.

Speaking through his Deputy, Prof Amos Agbe Utuama (SAN) at the 55th National Delegate Conference of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Asaba, Governor Uduaghan emphasized that teachers should not only be dedicated to their duties and making necessary sacrifice to enhance knowledge passed to their pupils but also pay attention to the conduct of their pupils.

The Governor recalled that in the good old days, a child feared and respected his teacher more than his parents, but such respect would not come when the teacher abandoned his pupils to go in search of contracts or goes from one office to the other hawking wares or chatting away with friends at a time he is supposed to be busy in the classroom.

Commenting on the theme of the conference "The Future of a Nation Depends on Today's Investment on the Teacher", Governor Uduaghan agreed that there was pressing need for more investments to be made on the teacher since it is the quality of knowledge that he or she has that he or she passes to the children, but emphasized that there is also a dire need for returns on investment made on the teacher.

In his message at the occasion, the President of the NUT said the education system has continued to face serious difficulties as a result of the uncoordinated nature of government policies and actions, coupled with the absolute neglect of the teachers.

The NUT President who was making his valedictory address as the out-going President of NUT, said the infrastructural facilities in schools remain dilapidated all over the country, laboratories and libraries are common features in schools, instructional material are grossly lacking while teacher's development and welfare are yet to the given due attention.

Also speaking at the ceremony, the NLC, represented by the Deputy President, Mr. Peters Adeyemi called on President Goodluck Jonathan to revisit those key recommendations of the Uwais Committee that the executive earlier rejected.

The high point of the programme was the declaring open of the 55th National Delegate Conference by the Deputy Governor, Prof Amos Utuama (SAN).