By News Maker Media in Abuja
Dr. Odiraa Nwankwor (Agu Nnaya), Associate Professor of Pediatrics and APGA candidate for Orumba North and South Federal Constituency, has paid tribute to teachers on World Teachers’ Day, October 5, recalling the sacrifices of his late mother and father who were both teachers.
Nwankwor, in a message marking the annual celebration, said his appreciation of teachers was deeply personal, having been “born, raised and shaped inside a teacher’s home.”
According to him, his father is still a teacher, while his late mother also devoted her life to teaching and raising her children.
He recalled how his parents demonstrated the value of education through their daily sacrifices, including preparing lesson notes by lantern light when there was no electricity, using their modest salaries to purchase books and teaching materials, and assisting other families with school fees.
He particularly remembered his late mother staying up late to mark students’ exercise books before rising early to teach the following day.
“These two teachers taught me that teaching is not a job. Teaching is sacrifice. Teaching is ministry. Teaching is nation-building,” he said.
Nwankwor attributed his emergence as an Associate Professor of Pediatrics, as well as his opportunity to teach medical students and care for children, to the foundational lessons he received from his parents.
“If I became an Associate Professor of Pediatrics, if I have had the privilege of teaching medical students and treating children across the world, it is because two teachers first taught me how to read, how to be disciplined, how to be honest, and how to serve humanity,” he said.
The APGA candidate also paid tribute to teachers in Orumba North and South, Anambra State and across Nigeria, noting that their contributions to society often go unrecognised.
He called for renewed attention to teachers’ welfare and the development of schools, particularly in the context of his vision for what he described as “A Better Orumba.”
“When we talk about A Better Orumba, we must start with our teachers. We must restore dignity to the chalk. We must give our children better classrooms, our teachers better welfare, and our schools a better future,” he said.
Nwankwor concluded by honouring his father and remembering his late mother, whom he described as his “first teacher.”
“Happy World Teachers’ Day to all teachers. Happy World Teachers’ Day to my father. And Happy posthumous Teachers’ Day to my beloved late mother Nne M, your blackboard is now in heaven,” he said.
