Primary school teachers in Keffi local government area of Nasarawa state on Wednesday staged a protest over the government’s failure to pay their salaries for five months. They marched in the streets around the council secretariat to demand their monthly entitlement. Police officer shot by bandits dies in hospital Widow wants lecturer prosecuted for raping […]
The teachers say they have resolved to halt their protests and resume work, although some of their “critical” demands were downplayed by the school management.
By Laleye Dipo
The plan by secondary school teachers to float a different organisation from the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) may have hit the rocks following the rejection of the plan by both the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment and the Niger State Government.
In separate statements, the Federal Ministry of Labour and the Niger State Government disowned the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools of Nigeria (ASUSS).
ASUSS had written to the Federal Ministry of Labour and the Niger State Government intimating them of the plan by members of the union to proceed on an indefinite strike in Niger State just as the state wing of the NUT had done.
Malam Bashir noted in the letter that, “I am directed to inform you that the ministerial committee constituted by the FCTA to carry out the above mentioned exercise concluded the assignment and forwarded the report accordingly.
“Thus, it is gratifying to note that after due consideration, the administration has approved payment of the new national minimum wage to LEA teachers and area council staff with effect from May, 2021.”
The minister had in January, 2021, urged both the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) and NUT to carry out screening of their members in the FCT to enable the FCTA know the staff strength.
Laleye Dipo in Minna
The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Niger State branch has declared an indefinite strike from May 4, 2021.
The union in a statement made available to journalists in Minna yesterday stated that the declaration of the strike followed the resolution by the state Working Executive Committee of the NUT held on April 30, 2021, during which the inability of the state government to meet the demands of the organisation after it suspended a previous strike that took place last February was considered.
The statement was jointly signed by the state Chairman of the union, Ibrahim Umar; the NUT Principal Assistant Secretary-General, Labaran Garba; ANCOPS state President, Ahmed Jafaar, and OPSHON Chairperson, Fatima Abdullahi Kutigi.