Education Minister, Ansu Sonii, has extolled the Nigerian government for the cordial relationship that continues to exist between the two African countries, especially in the education sector.
He maintained that Nigeria has become the mother country in the region, both in population and advancement, noting that Liberia will always remain grateful for the level of support from the Nigerian government to rise and advance.
Speaking recently, during an orientation program at the Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Congo Town, for additional 12 Technical Aid Corps (TAC) volunteers, the Education Boss maintained, “Liberia would not have made certain significant gains had it not been for the help of Nigeria.”
Referencing the total of 26 volunteer classroom teachers currently in the country from Nigeria to help with the education system, the Minister indicated that another batch of TAC volunteers, is expected in November of this year, to increase the number to 42.
According to him, the Ministry of Education has already completed the allocation of the individual assignments of those teachers across the country, and it is also cautious of where they are being sent.
He reassured the Nigerian Embassy near Monrovia that the Liberian Government, through the MoE, will assign the TAC volunteers to places that are easily accessible, with other reasonable facilities, signifying their presence in an African country.
“Those other colleagues have already taken their assignments. They’ve been out there almost three weeks now, and I have not heard any complaint, except for one or two locations where there is no electricity, and we didn’t send any female there; we sent only the guys.
Everywhere we have sent the female teachers, they have some sort of electricity. We intend to send to Guinea and see if we can get these small units of solar panels and outfits, to provide for people who are in locations where you don’t have electricity,” he noted.
Sonii, at the same time, reminded those volunteers about how critical their role is in national development, noting that whether or not it is recognized, the teachers appreciate themselves, terming them as the transformers.
“It is the job that we do that brings engineers, pilots, and doctors, and all disciplines. Remove teaching and there is no pilot, there is no politician; of course, a politician can be anybody, I mean just name it. So, we count ourselves as valuable and make ourselves valuable,” he stressed.
Earlier, while officially handing over the additional 12 volunteers to Liberia by Manir Ibrahim, Charge D’ Affairs of the Nigerian Embassy, the foreign diplomat urged the teachers to demonstrate good conduct as always, and strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries.
“Whenever you have a problem, contact your County Education Officer. In Nigeria, we have states, but here in Liberia, we have counties, so based on the instructions of the honorable minister, if you have any problem, you can consult them,” he said.
Ibrahim also disclosed that the Nigerian government has recruited and trained many professors and are awaiting deployment in Liberian universities, whenever the Liberian government is ready.
