As part of its commitment to raising the standard of teachers in Borno State, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Afro Eye Foundation, has partnered with the state chapter of Nigeria Union of Teachers to donate free eye glasses to 140 visually-challenged teachers in the state as well as providing 14 others with eye surgeries.
This was disclosed by the state chairman of the NUT, Alhaji Bulama Abiso, who said on Tuesday in the Borno state capital, Maiduguri that the free eye surgeries were conducted by a team of experts of Afro Eye Foundation.
Abiso said: “Fourteen of our teachers today underwent eye surgeries by a team of medical experts of this Foundation. Other teachers with minor eye problems while teaching were also treated at this medical centre here in Maiduguri. Those with surgical cases were however; referred to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital for operations.”
He stated that the union was committed to the welfare of teachers in the state and would also embark on programmes that will improve their livelihood and better their lot.
Also, Abiso added that the initiative was necessary to ensure that teachers, who are the epicentre of the educational process, remain healthy.
While congratulating the teachers who were beneficiaries of the initiative in Maiduguri, he said that the scheme will be extended across the 27 local government areas of the state.
Reiterating his commitment to the welfare of the teachers in Borno, Abiso said: “Teachers’ welfare has remained the core priority of this union, that is why we are doing what we can to uplift their living standard.
“The union had procured about 187 plots of land which was distributed to our members as soft loans. We are equally working out modalities with the Federal Mortgage Bank to construct two blocks of about 300 houses to our teachers to address their accommodation problems.
“The houses would be given to them as revolving loans which is to be in 25 years. More arrangement is being made so that even if our teachers resign they will still continue paying the loans to enable them own the houses at the end of the day.”
