A’Ibom teacher, Essien, wins 2016 Maltina Teacher of the Year Award

Computer, Basic Sciences and Physical Education teacher from Special Education Centre for Exceptional Children, Uyo in Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Imoh Essien, has emerged the 2016 Maltina Teacher of the Year.

The award, instituted by the Nigerian Breweries-Felix Ohiwerei Education Trust Fund, was aimed at restoring the pride and dignity of the teaching profession and recognising the all-encompassing role of teachers in nation building.

Essien, who started nurturing the desire to become a teacher from childhood, was able to achieve the feat due to his ability to clearly define and demonstrate what it means to impact knowledge to the Nigerian child.

Having keenly competed with 34 teachers across the federation, he was on Thursday night, at a grand reception held at Oriental Hotel, Lagos, adjudged the best teacher of the year by the panel of independent jurists, headed by the Founder/Chief Executive Officer, Centre for Values in Leadership, Prof Pat Utomi.

For this, he was rewarded with N1m overall prize, in addition to N500, 000 he received as state champion from Akwa Ibom.

He would also be getting the sum of N1m every year for a period of five years, a training programme abroad and block of six classrooms for his school.

An English teacher from Borno State, who was the first runner-up last year, Mohammed Binta Lawan, repeated the feat this year, while Ogwu Patrick from Government Day Secondary School, Adankolo in Lokoja, Kogi State, came third.