Senate President Bukola Saraki, has called on government at all levels to prioritise the payment of salaries and general welfare of teachers in order to boost the country’s education system and secure the future of the young people.

He made this known in a statement by his media aide, Yusuph Olaniyonu, in Abuja on Wednesday, to mark the 2016 Teachers’ Day.

Saraki congratulated Nigerian teachers and their counterparts across the globe for their contribution to the advancement of knowledge.

The senate president reiterated that Teacher’s salaries should be included as an item in the capital vote of the budget to enable them receive their salaries and allowances as at when due.

He said: “There is an overarching need to prioritize teacher’s welfare so as to enable them continue to discharge their duties creditably and effectively particularly in this age of knowledge.

“It is only by doing that that we eliminate a situation where people either reluctantly go into the profession or go into it as a last option.

Saraki said that teachers occupy a pristine place in Nigeria’s journey towards progress and development as a nation, and as such, emphasis must be placed on “capacity building, training and re-training of teachers across the various tiers of our education architecture.”

“Every teacher must be assured of a minimum safety net during their pre and post retirement life,” he added.

He also called on teachers to rededicate themselves to their all-important duty of spreading knowledge and banishing ignorance.

“Our teachers must possess the necessary wherewithal for effective discharge of their assignment,” he said.