THIS week, our personality on the Platform is the Delta State Chairman, Nigeria Union of Teachers, (NUT), Comrade Poubeni Dickson. He hails from Patani Local Government Area of the State, making him an Izon by tribe. Specifically, his Father is from Patani and mother from Akwa Ibom State.
He was employed as a classroom teacher in 2003. From the onset, he saw the need to aspire higher through the Union, with the aim of fostering growth and peace between teachers and the State government, and felt the best and fastest way to achieve that was through the Union, and by the grace of God, in 2009, he contested as Second Examiner of Accounts of the Union, and won. In 2017, he contested as Social Secretary under the then-chairman, and worked under him. In 2021, he contested as Secretary, and Treasurer in Patani Local Government.
In 2025, he saw the need to aspire further, and after serving as Secretary, Deputy Chairman of the Secretaries Forum, and Treasurer, he contested the position of State Chairman of the Union in 2025, and by the grace of God, on August 19, 2025, he won as the State Chairman. He was born on April 26, 1977.
In this interview, he spoke on a number of issues that concern teachers, their welfare and the relationship between the State Government and the Nigeria Union of Teachers, and many more. Excerpts
On assumption of office, you pledged to tackle the challenges facing teachers in Delta State. Was there anything wrong with teachers’ welfare when you came on board?
Yes. The welfare of teachers in Delta State is paramount to us. My predecessors did a lot in this regard, and in my administration, we are committed to improving on the past achievements of the Union. We are already looking at the stagnation of teachers in primary schools. We see the stagnation of graduate teachers in primary schools as our paramount concern, because if that is addressed, I know teachers at that level will be happy and more committed to duty.
In the secondary schools in Delta State, teachers progress to level 17, but in primary schools, they are stagnated at level 14, which is not acceptable. Compared to other parastatals, workers there progress to level 17. Even in our own Local Education Authorities, the NASU board is there, teachers on that board progress to level 17, but the owners of the board end at level 14. That is not good enough. That is one of our major challenges, and we are working closely with the State government to see how that can be rectified. By the grace of God, I am confident we will get there.
We are aware that the challenge of stagnation of primary school teachers on Grade Level 14 had been on for a long time, and your predecessor and his Executive fought for it to be addressed once and for all. What do you think is responsible for the delay in achieving that?
Thank you very much. I think the main reason why we are having the delay in ending the stagnation of primary school teachers on Grade Level 14 is because, some persons up there are not giving His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Delta State, Rt. Hon Sheriff Oborevwori the right information and advice on the issue. Otherwise, we know that the governor is well disposed to listening to the matter and addressing it.
That is our challenge in this matter, but I assure you that, the current NUT under my watch is working tirelessly to ensure that we emerge victorious in the end.
If the Governor had the right information on the matter, I believe he would have acted positively. I know the Governor we are working with; once he receives the correct information and he is convinced, he would implement it. There are, however, many blockades, reasons, we do not know, but by the grace of God, it will be implemented.
Another matter the Union is presently addressing is the appointment of primary school teachers as Headmaster Generals and principals as Principal Generals. These are issues we are discussing with the government. You see, Permanent Secretaries retire at 60 years or after 35 years of service. But for us, by the grace of God, the Governor, His Excellency, has approved retirement at 65 years and 40 years of service for teaching personnel.
Now, there is an attempt to short-change those teachers who are Permanent Secretaries. These are teachers in the educational sector, particularly the Post-Primary Education Boards (PPEB), and the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB). They were promoted from the classroom to these positions, not from any other field. The approval was meant to ensure that teachers benefit from this. Today, we hear that there is a move to use the designation of Permanent Secretary to cut them off from that retirement age of 65 years, and we are contesting that.
The approval explicitly stated that these people, drawn from the teaching industry, should enjoy the benefits. It does not apply only to classroom teachers.
Currently, some of our foot soldiers who are Permanent Secretaries have been pencilled down for retirement, which is unacceptable. We are still pushing and working on this issue. I am confident that when the matter reaches the Governor with the correct information, he will ensure our personnel receive their rightful designation.
If you were given a card: Accept a PS appointment, retire at 60; remain a teacher, retire at 65. Which would you choose?
The teaching industry is different from other sectors. The approval was granted to all in the teaching profession who qualify under the law, not just classroom teachers. However, in Delta State, there is an attempt to restrict it to classroom teachers, which is incorrect.
What we are telling the government is that the designation of PS is meant for other parastatals. For the teaching industry, the correct titles should be Headmaster General and Principal General, equivalent to PS, just like Auditor General, Accountant General, and Surveyor General. Teachers should receive the correct nomenclature and retire at the correct age, in line with the approval. That is how it should be, and we are insisting on it.
At some point, there was the impression that the State Government was handling the issue of stagnation of graduate teachers in primary schools, for which your predecessor expressed gratitude. So why are you still pursuing it?
Yes, when the issue was first raised, we appreciated and applauded the government because they gave us a listening ear. In 2019, when the Deputy Governor came to our World Teachers’ Day event, he made a pronouncement regarding the stagnation of graduate teachers in primary schools. He assured us that when he returned to the caucus, he would raise the matter so that the Governor would consider it and approve it for teachers.
It would not be fair to “rob Peter to pay Paul,” because these people are nation-builders; they shape our tomorrow, and it is proper to give them what they deserve. However, the matter is still unresolved. We won’t rest until it is properly addressed. That is why we have continued to press on, and we will not rest until the government does the needful.
So, you will continue to press on, which means you may have taken certain steps in that direction. Shall we get to know some of the steps you have taken?
Indeed, we have met with stakeholders, including the former Commissioner for Primary Education, Dr Kingsley Ashibogwu, who was one of the key persons we engaged with. We also consulted the State SUBEB Chairman, Hon. Samuel Marierie, Chairman, House Committee on Education in the Delta State House of Assembly (DTHA), Hon. Charles Emetulu. These are some of the people we have met. In all of these, by the grace of God, we are receiving positive responses. We have seen the efforts being made to ensure that this issue comes to an end. Even now, those involved recognise the importance of the matter, and by the grace of God, it will come to pass. They will be proud to see it happen in their time.
We are committed to ensuring synergy and collaboration with the government. We are doing everything humanly possible to meet with all relevant persons so that the correct information reaches the Governor. Our goal is to ensure that the Governor receives accurate and thorough information, so that the teaching industry receives its rightful dues
The right persons must meet the right persons to provide the right information. When that happens, the right thing will be done.
What is your view about the dignity of teachers in Delta State under the administration of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori?
You see, the dignity of teachers is paramount. We respect that, and that dignity must be respected by all. Without teachers, we would not be sitting here, because teachers are the people who mould the future. That dignity must be respected, even by the Governor, because teachers made it possible. That is why our dignity must be upheld.
Governor Sheriff Oborevwori has respected teachers. He has played a major role, and teachers in turn have reciprocated that gesture to a large extent. Last year, because of his remarkable performance in office, the NUT honoured him with the Best Governor in Nigeria Award, during our World Teachers’ Day in Abuja. This demonstrates that a lot has been done. However, there is one issue we cannot ignore: the stagnation of primary school teachers on level 14.
We also expect that the award of excellence given to him will motivate more actions that would benefit teachers in the State.
But assuming the issue is not resolved before 2027, what further steps is the NUT under your watch likely to take to get it resolved?
My administration is one of dialogue. I respect dialogue, and at the level we are operating, dialogue has proven to be effective. However, we cannot predict the future. We are meeting very soon, to discuss among others whether the end justifies the means on this issue. For now, I cannot say we will go on strike. We would continue to dialogue.
I remember what the Commissioner once said when we met. He said: “At the end of the tunnel, there will be light.” Those are words of encouragement. We want to see that light. When you meet people who give you hope, you do not start shouting or threatening, because you know they will listen. They are also pressing to see that the matter is resolved. We do not threaten people. But unions are unions, you understand that.
You mentioned that some persons are frustrating the Union’s efforts in addressing the stagnation issue in the primary schools. What exactly is their argument? What are they telling the government?
When I say some persons, I recall one official who suggested that all graduate teachers in primary schools should be moved to secondary schools. Is that even possible? How can all graduate teachers from primary schools be accommodated in secondary schools alongside existing principal officers?
That was why I said, some persons are obstructing our progress in this regard.
We hear such words from someone who should stand in the gap for the Union, and advocate on our behalf. They fail to support teachers, even though many other states have already addressed this issue.
States like Bayelsa, Edo, Ondo, and others have implemented this level ceiling, allowing teachers to retire at 65 with the proper level. This January, Kebbi did theirs, so why is Delta State lagging?
The NUT had, in the past lamented that teachers were not part of decision-making process in government. What’s the way forward?
You see, to achieve anything in a system, the members must be involved in decision-making. They can provide proper advice and guidance. If teachers are excluded from education policy-making, and decisions are made by people outside the profession, how can they get the best outcome? It is impossible. Teachers must be carried along in policy-making so that decisions are informed and accurate.
So, what has the Union done in this regard?
We have done a lot of correspondence to the government and relevant stakeholders in this direction, and we are hoping that at the end of the day, teachers would get what they deserve.
It is often said that, “teachers’ reward should not only be in heaven. What exactly does this mean, especially when one takes into consideration that there are other sectors demanding attention from the limited resources available to government?
You and I go to the same market. At the end of the month, some professionals receive extra allowances or benefits that make their job more lucrative. But for me, as a classroom teacher, I start at 7:30 in the morning, teach until 1:30 in the afternoon, and then go home. Sometimes we stay longer, going the extra mile, yet we receive nothing extra.
The government could make teaching a more attractive profession.
We have heard about cases of parents harassing teachers. Since you came on board, what steps have you taken to address this issue?
Yes, we have noticed that many parents see teachers as nobodies. That is how parents look at teachers: “Who is this teacher? Who are you? Common Teacher,” they would say. It is embarrassing to this noble profession, and parents often take it for granted, abusing teachers.
For example, in one school, the head teacher disciplined a child. She lives very close to the school. In the evening, the child’s parents brought objects to throw at her. That is the height of embarrassment. Someone is trying to mould their child, and yet they show no respect. In our days, it was not like that.
But today, young parents are the problem. They do not want teachers to discipline their children. Remember, teachers disciplined us to ensure we became responsible and useful to society; well-mannered citizens.
I grew up in a military barrack environment, so, I know the value of discipline. But today, many parents do not recognize that.
By the grace of God, we have been able to address this to a large extent. Any parent who raises a hand against a teacher will have to answer to us. Thank God the government listens, because we will not compromise on that, no matter what.
Realizing that the world has gone digital. What has the Delta NUT done to ensure teachers are ICT compliant?
The NUT in the State is doing its best to train it’s members on ICT. To this end, in our own micro way as a union, we are organising ICT training within our Secretariat. We are training our teachers, especially union leaders on ICT. But we are appealing to the State government to provide ICT training to teachers on a wider scale.
