Teachers in Ekiti State have affirmed their support for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the June 18 election in the State, Hon Bisi Kolawole.

The teachers, who made this known during an interactive session with executives of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) union the Teacher’s House, Ado Ekiti on Friday, said they will support the PDP candidate because of their love for the former governor of the State, Ayodele Fayose.

They said it was only during Fayose’s government that teachers were elevated and celebrated in the State, and for this, they will vote Kolawole, who is being backed by the former governor.

“For us teachers in Ekiti, PDP has paid its dues through Fayose, and for this, we will support Bisi Kolawole,” they said.

Meanwhile, the PDP governorship candidate has assured that year of service of public school teachers in the State will be increased to forty years or sixty five years as retirement age.

This was part of the requests contained in a document signed by the Kolawole with the Ekiti State Chapter of the NUT during the interactive session.

The interactive session, which had former Governor of Ekiti State, Mr. Ayodele Fayose in attendance saw the former two term governor go memory lane on how his administration, in no small measure benefitted the teachers.

Fayose thanked the teachers for always standing by him in and out of government, saying; “I thank you for your support during the 2018 election. You and I know that we won that election, but we were rigged out by the powers that be. It is time to have back what they stole from us.”

Fayose, who recalled how he established the Tutor-General’s office during his first term attributed successes recorded by his administration in the education sector to the enabling environment he provided the teachers.

“The most important of all we do as people in power is to uphold the sanctity of life. Today, there is no life in terms of security in our state.

“Just recently, a Level 9 teacher on less than N60,000 salary after deduction was kidnapped. The kidnappers asked for N1 million ransom.

“I want to assure you that Otunba Bisi Kolawole will live up to his responsibility in terms of provision adequate security.”

Fayose who described the PDP candidate as a man of immense experience, having served in the legislative and executive arms of government urged the teachers to support Bisi Kolawole wholeheartedly with the assurance that “Ekiti teachers will take their pride of place in his administration.”

In his speech, the PDP candidate, Otunba Bisi Kolawole vowed to outperform Fayose, whom he described as his leader, in terms of taking care of the teachers’ welfare if voted into power.

“I understudied Oshokomole for four years as a commissioner, I know what he does to motivate teachers, I will never depart from that track, I still have him as my coach, I am bound to perform better, I assure you.

“I will make car loans available, I will make housing loans available, I will reward hard work. Your salary is your right, you can take it for granted, you will get it as and when due. Vote for me, you will be glad you did,” Kolawole said.