Teachers at public primary schools in Edo State are still on their indefinite strike, shunning classrooms as schools reopened today (Monday) after being Shutdown to curtail spread of Coronavirus pandemic in the second wave of the virus in the country.
Governor Godwin Obaseki had ordered resumption of schools today in the state, despite the Industrial action by the teachers .
But the State Wing of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), in a statement by its Chairman, Pius Okhueleigbe, Assistant Secretary-General Mike Itua and other executives on Sunday, asked parents and guardians to keep their children away from public primary schools.
The teachers insisted that the indefinite strike they started last January 18 was still in force.
They vowed to continue with their industrial action saying, that none of the anti-democratic tactics of Obaseki’s administration would affect the union in its unshakeable resolved, in ensuring that the primary school teachers’ 10-point demands were met.
The union listed some of its demands to include, non-payment and incomplete payment of 2013 to 2015 promotion arrears of primary school teachers in Oredo, Orhionmwon and Uhunwonde Local Government Areas.
Also demanded by the teachers are non-implementation of 2016 to 2018 promotion of primary school teachers in payrolls since August 2020 as well as promotion arrears and inclusion of some teachers omitted from the promotion excercise.
Other demands are non-release of 2019 Teachers promotions by SUBEB for four months after the state government’s approval.
Non-payment of Edo- BEST Training stipends of 2018 and 2019 to about two thousand Teachers who participated in the program.
Non-remittance of the lawfully deducted schools monthly subvention from the account of Local Government Councils to School Heads from April 2020 till date and delay in the payment of Teachers monthly salaries among others,” he added.
NUT in its further reaction to the State Government's statement added that “Obaseki’s administration, on January 29, through the Secretary to Edo State Government (SSG), Mr. Osarodion Ogie, issued a threat of ‘No Work, No Pay,’ among others, to the striking teachers, with effect from February 1.
“Ordinarily, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Edo State Wing, would not have bothered to respond to the said pronouncements, because they were directed at the ‘National Union of Teachers,’ a body unknown to the constitution and laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, but considering some parts of the pronouncements that bear teachers’ issues, currently in dispute between NUT, Edo State Wing and Edo State Government.
According to the statement,"The indefinite strike by public primary schools’ heads and teachers, which started on January 18, is still very much in force, hence on Monday, February 1, it will continue unhindered in the 18 local governments of Edo State.”
NUT asked public primary school heads, teachers, parents, pupils and the public to disregard threats, blackmail, intimidation, announcements, pronouncements and moves from any quarter, aimed at discrediting the indefinite strike.
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