Funmi Ogundare
Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board (LASTVEB) recently rewarded some of its staff, teachers and non-teaching staff of technical schools in the state for their diligence, dedication and hard work.
The board also presented award to the most outstanding college, principal and vice-principals of various colleges; they received plaques and certificates.
Speaking at the 2015 staff merit award ceremony, the Executive Secretary of the board, Mr. OlawumiGasper, thanked all the key stakeholders in the technical colleges for their efforts, saying that they are worthy of it.
“It is not just the papers that matter but the efforts they have been able to put into it,” he said and urged them to do more on Technical and Vocational Education (TVE).
Some of the awardees thanked the board, saying that the award will motivate them to work harder.
One of the outstanding teachers/instructor at Government Technical College (GTC) Odomola, Epe, Mr. Benjamin Oke, described the award as a motivating factor and recognition. “In any association or society or establishment that one belongs to, you should be able to contribute to it and I believe that what they have noticed about us is what made them to recognise us.”
He promised to put in more efforts in appreciation of the board’s efforts. “The joy of any engineer is to see that its products are acceptable in the society. As we are going to our respective schools, we are going to work on our students and produce better students for the industry.”
The Principal of Government College Technical,Agidingbi, Mrs. Belinda Odeh, who received the most outstanding principal award, said though it is not her first award, the previous ones she receivedencouraged her to put in more effort in her work.
“This is not my first award; it takes double effort to remain up there. So if you get an award, I believe it is reward for more work. You will want to do more to be able to move further, you can’t just be stagnant,” she said, adding that she sees her college as a motivation.
Odeh, who responded on behalf of the awardees, thanked the board for its efforts saying, “I appreciate what they have done because it cuts across all the colleges; non-teaching and teaching alike, so it is a way of encouraging us. When you work hard and you are rewarded that shows that you are recognised. We appreciate the gesture today because it will motivate others to work harder, some others may want to get this award.”
The Principal of GTC Ikotun, Mr. Samuel Daramola, whose college got the award for most outstanding, listed some of the qualities that made his school to stand out to include discipline and students’ academic performance. “The teachers and students are well disciplined, even in terms of extra-curricular activities; the college is not doing badly. We take part in JETs competition and the yearly project competition organised by the ministry of science and technology, students usual excel. It is what gave us the award.”
He said the award is the first from the board, saying, “people have been working and not encouraged. When teachers are encouraged, they put more efforts. The award will ginger the staff and students to excel.”
