Teachers threaten strike in 18 states

Nigeria Union of Teachers has directed teachers in 18 states that have defaulted in the implementation of the 27.5 per cent salary increment to begin a stay-at-home strike from June 1.

The union also urged the Federal Government to embrace peace and dialogue with Boko Haram in order to address the security problems in the country.

This was contained in a communique signed by its President, Michael Olukoya; the Secretary-General, Obong I. J. Obong and National Publicity Secretary, Suleiman Gambari, after its National Executive Council meeting held in Asaba, the Delta State capital.

The  union said the strike was to force the defaulting states to urgently pay its members their teachers’enhance allowance and the N18,000 minimum wage.

The states are: Benue, Cross River, Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu, Ekiti, Osun, Ogun, Oyo, Edo, Nassarawa, Zamfara, Plateau, Taraba, Borno, Kogi, Niger and Sokoto.

“Such state wings are not allowed to suspend the strike until the demands are met or at the instance of the National Headquarters of the Union,” the NEC said.

The umbrella body of teachers in Nigeria observed that education in Nigeria was currently on a dangerous precipice with insecurity of pupils and teachers.

It also expressed fears that the scrapping of Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board and the National Examination Council would not be in the interest of the nation.

The NEC-in-session  resolved that “never has any nation subjugated or sacrificed its national interest to sub-regional or global slavery.

“The NECO represents in Nigeria, the national and patriotic interest of both the teachers, the pupils and the parents under the exclusive control and determination of Nigerian government and people; such primary interest of Nigerians cannot be sacrificed for sub-regional interest of the West African Examination Council nor be allowed to suffer under the expediency of fiscal consideration.  We cannot afford to cut our nose to spite our face.

“The National Examination Council should remain as an alternative and competing examination body in Nigeria, subject however to possible re-organisation as to its efficiency and effectiveness to carry out its mandate.  This also applies to the JAMB and its UMTE which is established to promote egalitarian admission policy in our universities.

“The JAMB on its part must promote Nigerianness in its admission policy, by opening the doors of all universities in Nigeria to all Nigerian children without discrimination to any as its policy of  ‘quota and catchment areas’ to the detriment of merit in admission policy.”

The NUT also reminded the Federal Government of its agreement to pay the shortfall made in the payment of the MDG training allowance to teachers that participated in the 2011 NTI/MDG training programme.

The teachers also restated their commitment to the provisions of the National Policy on Education which prescribes Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) as the minimum teaching qualification in the country.

The union condemned the attitude of some governments and employers of labour by questioning the competence of teachers who hold such qualifications from recognised and legally established educational institutions in the country.




-- Punch