Victor Edozie
The apex socio-cultural organisation of the Ogoni people, KAGOTE, has advised the 1,000 volunteer teachers under its Teachers Intervention Scheme, in a community-driven effort to address shortages of teaching personnel in public primary schools across the four Ogoni Local Government Areas.
The volunteers, selected from more than 5,000 applicants, were inaugurated at Giniwa Hall, Saakpenwa, Tai Local Government Area, at a ceremony attended by KAGOTE leaders, local government chairmen, political leaders, education stakeholders and the newly recruited teachers.
The intervention, according is designed to provide immediate manpower support to public primary schools in Khana, Gokana, Tai and Eleme, while complementing government efforts to strengthen basic education in Ogoniland.
Speaking at the cereony, KAGOTE President and Chief Executive Officer of Giolee Global Resources Ltd, Chief Lesi Maol, urged the volunteers to regard their assignment as a community responsibility rather than simply a source of monthly income.
Maol warned that neglecting children at the formative stage could have serious consequences for society.
“Because that child you refuse to teach will be the Deebam and the Dewell that will kill you tomorrow,” he said.»
The KAGOTE president said the intervention was conceived from the belief that education remains one of the most effective ways of preventing social deterioration and creating opportunities for young people.
Maol said the initiative followed an assessment of public primary schools across the four Ogoni local government areas after he assumed leadership of KAGOTE.
He said he constituted an Education Intervention Committee and mandated it to inspect schools and assess the availability of teachers against the number of pupils being served.
According to him, the assessment revealed significant shortages of teaching personnel in several schools.
The findings according to him prompted KAGOTE to declare what it described as an education emergency and establish a volunteer teachers scheme as an immediate intervention.
“Applications were subsequently opened, attracting more than 5,000 prospective volunteers.
After screening and assessment, 1,000 applicants were selected for the programme.
“The selected volunteers are expected to be deployed to public primary schools, particularly those identified as having the most critical manpower shortages,” he said .
“Each volunteer teacher will receive a monthly allowance of ₦50,000, with Maol announcing that payments are scheduled to commence on September 28, 2026,,” he noted .
He stressed that the allowance was intended to support the volunteers while they serve, rather than replace their responsibility to teach.
“If you refuse to go and teach despite getting your stipends, you are cheating yourself,” Maol told the volunteers.
He urged them to approach the programme with discipline, dedication and a sense of responsibility to their communities.
To prevent absenteeism and ensure accountability, KAGOTE said it would establish a comprehensive database containing the details of the 1,000 volunteers.
A monitoring committee will also track the activities and performance of the teachers in their respective schools.
Maol said monitoring teams could conduct unannounced visits to schools to verify attendance and ascertain whether volunteers were actively teaching.
The organisation said the objective was to ensure that the intervention produces tangible improvements in teaching and learning rather than merely creating a register of beneficiaries receiving monthly allowances.
Maol further disclosed that volunteers who distinguish themselves through consistent attendance, competence and commitment could have an advantage when future government recruitment opportunities arise.
According to him, KAGOTE’s database and monitoring records would provide evidence of the volunteers’ service and performance.
He said the organisation would advocate for outstanding volunteers when government employment opportunities become available.
The scheme, therefore, could serve both as an immediate educational intervention and an avenue through which young graduates and other qualified volunteers demonstrate their capacity for future employment.
Former Senator representing Rivers South-East, Senator Magnus Ngei Abe, commended KAGOTE for introducing the scheme, describing it as an investment in the future of Ogoni children.
Abe said the initiative was not merely about putting more teachers in classrooms but about creating opportunities for children to develop their potential regardless of their socio-economic circumstances.
He said he had personally observed challenges affecting some schools in Ogoni and described the intervention as a practical response to an issue requiring urgent attention.
Abe urged the volunteers to regard their participation as a sacrifice for the community and remain committed to their assignments.
He also pledged his support for the teachers, saying that when future administrations create employment opportunities, he would advocate for teachers to be considered.
The Chairman of Tai Local Government Area, Hon. Dr. Mbakpone Friday Okpe, also pledged his administration’s support for the initiative.
Okpe described education as fundamental to community development and acknowledged the shortage of teaching personnel in Ogoni schools.
He said the challenges confronting primary and secondary education were longstanding, noting that he had been aware of some of the problems since assuming office as local government chairman in 2021.
He expressed optimism that the KAGOTE intervention would contribute to improving the standard of education in the area.
