For over two decades, Mr. Omatie Johnny has selflessly served as a volunteer teacher at Ukpokiti Primary School in Agbarha Warri Kingdom, Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State, without earning a single salary.
His extraordinary sacrifice, recently brought to public attention through a viral video shared by social commentator Mc Flexy (Aproko King), has triggered widespread outrage and renewed calls on the Delta State Government to urgently intervene.
Johnny, who settled in the community in 1986, began teaching at the school in 1988 when it was newly established under the then Bendel State, and continued even after Delta State’s creation in 1991.
Despite applying for employment, he was advised to undergo teacher training, an opportunity he could not afford.
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“I have remained here, teaching without pay,” he lamented, explaining that he survives by harvesting palm nuts and fishing after school hours to feed his family.
Community leaders have praised his unwavering dedication. The traditional ruler of Agbarha Warri Kingdom, Ataneru Igbi II, has occasionally supported him, while Ukpokiti youth chairman, Mr. Emmanuel, testified: “He taught me as a child, and today he is teaching my children. His devotion cannot be ignored.”
In his viral appeal, Mc Flexy urged Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and Warri South Local Government Chairman, Abbas Weyinmi, to recognize and compensate Johnny’s sacrifice: “A man who has given 22 years of his life without pay should not be left to struggle in poverty.
These are the people who deserve government recognition and support.”
