Teachers in Rivers can now teach up to 40 years

Teachers in Rivers State can now teach for up to 40 years instead of 35, except age stops them.

This is the outcome of a new law in the state which is a domestication of a federal one allowing teaches to teach for up to 40 years. The only hindrance now would be age of 65.

This was disclosed after the state’s Executive Council meeting recently, which gave approval at its meeting, presided over by Governor Sim Fubara, and attended by the Deputy Governor, Ngozi Odu, for a medium-term frame to guide the 2025 budget.

Speaking, the Rivers State Head of Civil Service, George Nwaeke, said Council approved the domestication of the law elongating the number of service years for teachers across the country by extra five years for teachers in Rivers State.

Nweake, however, stated that the approval would only be applicable to professional teachers duly registered with the Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN).

“There is this new law elongating the number of service years for teachers across the country. Before now, teachers retire at the attainment of 60 years of age or 35 years of service to Nigeria. But this new law now has elongated the service of teachers by five extra years, so that teachers will now retire at the attainment of 65 years or 40 years of service, whichever comes first.

“So, today, Council has approved this particular domestication of this new service years for teachers in Rivers State. And we are talking about teachers, not administration staff or other staff working in the schools.

“They must be teachers in the classroom, not people that are working as admin staff. This is a very heartwarming news, and Council has approved it,” he asserted.

He added that implementation of the policy is effective immediately, based in the circular enabling the elongation of the service year for teachers across the country.

On his part, the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Warisenibo Joseph Johnson, stated that Council applauded the Governor for approving additional N1billion to the already subsisting N1billion Pension Fund in the State.

Warisenibo Johnson noted that the Governor’s gesture is worth commending as the additional fund will take care of pensioners in the State as part of his welfare package for both the civil servants and the retired senior citizens of the State.