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Tag: Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT)

  • NUT Lagos State wing charges for recruitment of 15,000 new teachers

    NUT Lagos State wing charges for recruitment of 15,000 new teachers

    Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Lagos State wing, has appealed to the state government to recruit at least 15,000 more teachers across levels, to address shortage of teachers in public primary and secondary schools in the state.

    The chairman of the union, Akintoye Hassan, stated this at the 19th State Delegates’ Conference of the union, held in Agege, Lagos.

    Akintoye, who was re-elected for a second four-year term in office, noted that the student–teacher ratios in many of these schools, far exceed UNESCO’s 1:35 standard, with some classes holding over 80 pupils.

    He outlined some of the areas the union needs the state government’s attention to include: inadequate running costs for schools whereby school heads to dip into personal resources, stagnation in career incentives (Teachers’ Merit Award), direct payroll deductions for TRCN dues to be approved to ease compliance, and the 65-year/40-year retirement policy to be domesticated in Lagos to retain experienced teachers.

    Akintoye added that these demands do not mean the union failed to recognise the various interventions of the state government under the current administration in improving the teaching profession and the education sector generally.

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    “So, we want the state government to look into this challenge. Even though we know that the process of recruiting more teachers is already ongoing, we want the number to be this high.

    “When we have fewer students assigned to a teacher, learning outcomes will be far better,” he said.

    Akintoye promised to run an inclusive administration while soliciting their continuous support and cooperation.

    In her lecture, titled: “Professional Development: Strengthening Educators’ Skills and Expertise,” the guest speaker and the winner of Maltina Teacher of the Year Award in 2023, Adeola Adefemi, charged teachers to build social skill, understand cultural differences, and never stop learning.

    Other elected executives of the union, who were sworn in alongside the chairman by the union’s Legal Adviser, Barrister Babatunde Ajibola, include: Odewale Samuel (Deputy Chairman); Hunwhenu Zannu (1st Vice Chairman); Jenty Aliu (2nd Vice Chairman); Rabiu Adisa (3rd Vice Chairman); Ogunleye Adejoke (4th Vice Chairman); Ayankola Opeyemi (Treasurer); Mayungbe Bolanle (Internal Auditor I); Adegbite Feyisara (Internal Auditor II); Fokolade Oluwafemi (Publicity Secretary); Oladinran Omowunmi (Social Secretary); Ogunlana Aderonke (Assistant Social Secretary); Oyetakun Oluyemi (National Representative); and Shoremekun Joseph (Editor).

    In his goodwill message, the Lagos State Head of Service, Mr. Olabode Agoro, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), Mrs. Adebopo Oyekan-Ismaila, urged teachers to move beyond cognitive focus and foster affective and psychomotor engagement to win students’ hearts and make learning meaningful and inclusive.

  • NUT hails Obaseki on basic education reforms, teachers’ welfare

    The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has hailed Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, on reforms in the basic education sub-sector and his administration’s commitment to teachers’ welfare in the state.

    The NUT said Governor Obaseki’s deftness and diplomacy in dealing with issues of teachers’ welfare in the state should be emulated by other governors in the country.

    The commendation was contained in a letter addressed to Governor Obaseki and signed by NUT’s National Deputy Secretary, Rev. M.M. Braimoh, on behalf of the Union’s Secretary General, Dr. Mike Ike Ene.

    Recall that the Governor Obaseki-led administration has trained over 8700 teachers and equipped them with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) devices for improved learning outcomes. This has positively impacted over 150,000 school children in the state under the Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (Edo-BEST) programme.

    The National Executive of NUT, in the letter, said its communication with the state chapter of the union showed that the governor has maintained a harmonious relationship with them, ensuring that issues do not degenerate into strike actions.

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    According to them, “It is the tradition of the NUT and its national leadership to receive Monthly Reports from each of her 38 State Wings in order to be abreast of issues and events affecting our members.

    “On 20th August 2019, we received a communique issued by the NUT Edo State Wing Executive Council (SWEC) after its meeting of 19th August 2019 on a number of issues. While we were busy strategising on the way forward, we received another communique from NUT Edo State Wing dated 2nd September 2019 with cheering news of how Your Excellency has addressed all issues to the satisfaction of the entire teachers of Edo State within a short period of time.”

    “Sequel to these, it behooves on us to commend Your Excellency for your various roles in improving Basic Education and Teachers’ Welfare in Edo State. These are achieved without any Strike Action,” the NUT added.

    The union urged other governors in the country to emulate Governor Obaseki’s feats, noting, “On behalf of the National President, National Executive Council (NEC) members and the entire teachers of Nigeria, we wish to most heartily congratulate and appreciate Your Excellency for this feat. It is our belief that some of your brother governors will take after you.”

     

     

  • NUT to JAMB: release results of candidates found innocent

    Nigerian Union of Teachers(NUT) has appealed to the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to release the results of the candidates who were not involved in examination malpractices during the 2019 UTME’s examinations.

    Its chairman for Lagos State wing, Mr Adesina Adedoyin, made the appeal on Tuesday in Lagos in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    The union said the release should be for candidates who wrote the 2019 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME) and were found to be innocent.

    He said that the examination body should sieve the chaff from the grain as quickly as possible.

    Adedoyin said that the level of malpractice in the conduct of the 2019 UTME was as a result of the societal problems confronting the country, which included corruption.

     “The delay in releasing the results is going to affect the innocent students negatively.

     “Those that did not cheat during the examinations should not be punished for the offences they did not commit.

     “By the time JAMB will ask them to come and re-write the examination, they may not perform better as they did earlier,” he said.

    He also alleged that those who supervised and those who conducted the examinations were part of the problem.

    The NUT chairman wondered why they could not apprehend those who cheated while the examinations were ongoing then.

    According to him, malpractice cannot be done without any inducement.

    Adedoyin also said that some parents would always do anything to make sure that their children passed any examinations.

     “To those who offered inducements then, it was a bad act; and to those who received, it was also a very bad act.

     “They are parts of those creating problems for our system because they are part of the Nigeria society,” he said.

    Adedoyin also faulted JAMB’s policy and guidelines which stated that if the number of candidates that cheated in an examination was more than the number of candidates that failed, then the examination should be cancelled.

    He also condemned the policy that stated that another examination should be conducted in such a centre.

    The NUT chairman said that such a policy was anti-people and should be abolished.

     “Unfortunately, there is nothing anybody can do since it is JAMB’s policy, but I must say that the policy is anti-people.

     “The examination body should have sieved the chaff from the grain. It should have identified the culprits and bring them to book.’’

    Adedoyin said that if those found wanting would be allowed to rewrite the examinations, then the results of candidates who were innocent should be released.

    The NUT chairman said that the adoption of Computer Based Testing (CBT) mode by JAMB had not assisted in reducing cheating during its examinations.

    He said that the mode which was introduced with the aim of reducing cheating and examination malpractices among candidates appeared to be failing and not so effective.

    He said that meant that the examinations conducted using CBT were flawed in validity and reliability.

     “The incident with the 2019 UTME implies that the validity and reliability of that examination must be put to test.

     “If there was cheating as being alleged in the last UTME examination that adopted the CBT mode, despite the cameras and the software JAMB installed, then people will gradually be losing confidence in its efficiency,” he said.

  • Teachers to FG: scrap N-Power programme

    The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) on Tuesday called for the recruitment of more teachers into public schools.

    The union expressed concerns over the rate at which teachers in government schools retire annually without a commensurate recruitment to fill the vacancies created.

    NUT’s President, Nasir Idris, said this at the 2019 solemn assembly of the union held annually to begin the year by its members.

    The union also asked the Federal Government to discontinue the N-Power teaching programme, it does not render the desired benefits.

    The NUT president said: “There is an urgent need to recruit more teachers into our schools on a permanent basis as against the N-Power teaching program, which does not render the desired benefits and should be discontinued.

    “We want something that is permanent for our profession. This N-Power is just a temporary measure and so we need the federal and state governments to recruit more teachers to man our secondary and primary schools.

    “We need governments to recruit qualified teachers to man our schools rather than this N-Power program. If you look at the N-Power programme, people that do not have the necessary qualification of teaching have been sent to schools to teach. What are they going to teach?

    “We have qualified teachers that are waiting to be employed. That is why we said government should stop that one (N-Power) let them recruit qualified teachers to manage our schools.”

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    Idris said the union would work with stakeholders and relevant agencies in the sector to advance the teaching profession.

    He stated teachers would continue to bring their skills and experiences towards ensuring that the standard of teaching and learning in “our nation’s schools conform to global education best practices and standards.”

    The NUT president hailed the House of Representatives for speedy passage of the bill seeking to extend the retirement age of professional teachers from 60 to 65.

    “Our great union is vigilantly keeping watch on the steady progress of the bill on the extension of the retirement age of professional teachers from 60 to 65 years of age.

     

  • Kaduna secondary school teachers to write competence test soon – El-Rufai

    Governor Nasir el-Rufa’i of Kaduna state has disclosed that Competency tests for secondary school teachers will soon be conducted across the state to separate the incompetent ones from those that are competent. 

    Kaduna state government conducted similar test for the over 30,000 primary school teachers in the state last year, following which 21,780 that failed to obtain 70% pass mark were sacked and replaced with newly recruited 25,000 teachers. 

    Speaking on Sunday on his twitter handle, @GovKaduna, monitored in Kaduna, el-Rufai noted that the state is committed to restoring the integrity of the teaching profession. 

    He also revealed that the state government has decided to pay urban teachers in the state 27.5% higher than average civil servants, while rural teachers will earn 32.5% higher than their other civil service colleagues to attract the best to the teaching profession. 

    “We are doing our best to restore the integrity of the teaching profession. We have finished tests for primary school teachers and we are going to administer competency tests for secondary school teachers.”

    The competency test for primary school teachers and subsequent sack of those that failed the test caused lot of brouhaha with the Nigeria Union of Teachers ( NUT ) and the umbrella body for workers, Nigeria Labour Congress ( NLC ) taking umbrage at what they referred to as unfair treatment of teachers.

    Despite the unions embarking on protest after which they took legal action, the state government stuck by its gun and followed through with its decision. This latest step, if taken, may cause further uproar in the state.

  • NUT urges FG to end strike in varsities

    NUT urges FG to end strike in varsities

    The Nigeria Union of Teachers ( NUT ) has pleaded with the Federal government to intervene in the on-going strike by non-teaching staff in universities nationwide.

    The National President of the union, Comrade Michael Olukoya, made the appeal in an interview with our reporter on Tuesday in Lagos.

    Labour unions, comprising Senior Staff Association of Universities, Non-Academic Staff Union and the National Association of Academic Technologists have been on strike since Dec. 4, 2017 over allowances.

    The unions, under the aegis of the Joint Actions Committee, are protesting none implementation of the 2009 agreement it entered into with the federal government.

    They are also protesting against the sharing of the N23 billion earned allowance released to the universities by the government.

    “I want to plead with the federal government and the striking university labour unions to come to a negotiating table and dialogue.

    “This is because, in all of this, the most hit at the end will be the Nigerian child and the country’s education system.

    “The federal government, being the employers of these people, must be sincere in every one of its dealings, especially when it concerns negotiations and agreements.

    “I want to see the federal government bring about a lasting solution to the crisis so that we can move forward,’’ the unionist said.

    According to him, the Ministers of Labour and that of Education should meet with the unions in the overall interest of the nation.

    He advised all parties involved “to exhibit undiluted patriotism in the interest of the Nigerian child.”

    NAN

  • NUT directs members not to resume schools in states owing salary arrears

    NUT directs members not to resume schools in states owing salary arrears

    The Nigeria Union of Teachers ( NUT ) has restated its position that the teachers in 10 states that are still owing salary arrears should not resume work until all arrears were paid.

    Dr Mike Ike-Ene, General-Secretary of the union, spoke on the directive in an interview on Monday in Abuja.

    Ike-Ene said that 10 out of 36 states still owed teachers several months of salary arrears in spite of the Paris Club Refund given to states by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    He listed the states to include; Abia, Adamawa, Bayelsa, Benue, Delta, Ekiti, Kogi, Ondo, Kwara and Taraba, describing them as chronic debtors as far as teachers’ salaries are concerned.

    According to him, Abia owes primary school teachers four months and secondary school teachers one month, Adamawa; two months to primary school teachers and one month to secondary.

    “Others are Bayelsa; seven and half months to primary school teachers and four and half months to secondary, Benue owes 12 months to primary school teachers and seven months to secondary.

    “Ekiti owes eight months to primary school teachers and five months to secondary, Kogi; three months to primary school teachers and three months to secondary.

    “Taraba; six months to primary school teachers, Delta; four months to primary school and one month to secondary. Kwara and Ondo owe teachers three and four months’ salary arrears of 2016 respectively,’’ he explained.

    Ike-Ene said that the union has directed its members in the affected states, especially the primary school teachers not to resume work until all the arrears were cleared.

    He also said that NUT had in 2017, appealed to the governors concerned to use the period of the Christmas holiday to clear all the arrears, but yet some still failed to do so.

    President Muhammadu Buhari had in 2017, advised state governors to use the Paris Club Refund to liquidate any form of arrears they owe workers.

    NAN

  • Court dismisses suit against Delta NUT members

    Court dismisses suit against Delta NUT members

    An Okpanam Chief Magistrates’ Court in Delta State has acquitted five members of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Delta State Wing, accused of stealing and other offences.

    Trial Magistrate, Chinedu Osuma discharged and acquitted them for lack of proof by the plaintiff that the accused committed the offences.

    Those acquitted are: Adimujo Ugochukwu, Jemiriyiegbe Jonathan, Ejarogan Samson, Ekpah John Onyemechi and Joe Iyalekhue.

    They had been arraigned on a four-count charge of felony, stealing, malicious damage and unlawful damage.

    Osuma in his ruling said, “In view of the evidence adduced by the prosecution witnesses, I am satisfied that there is nothing placed before this court either by way of direct evidence or eye witness to the destruction or damage or anything circumstantial placed before me linking the accused persons to this charge.

    “The prosecution being unable to identify the essential elements of the offences charge. I hold that none of the ingredients of the offences as described in the charges has been proved.”

    “I over rule the objection to the application and uphold the no-case submission.
    “On the whole, the sole issue for determination is hereby resolved against the prosecution and in favour of the accused persons and I so hold.”

    “The accused persons are hereby discharged and acquitted of the four counts in the charge. The prosecution having failed to establish all the ingredients in each of the said counts in the charge. This is the ruling of this court.’’

    Earlier during the proceeding, the prosecutor, Sgt. Alex Ibendiogwu had told the court that the accused persons stole blocks, trips of sand, trips of granite, shovels, wheel barrows, wooden pegs, ropes and 12 iron buckets.

    The prosecutor said then that the goods valued at N35, 979, 300 belonged to NARZCO NIG. Ltd.

    Ibendiogwu told the court that the offences contravened   Sections 516, 390(9) and 415 of the Criminal Code Cap C21 Vol 1, Laws of Delta, Nigeria, 2006, respectively.

  • NUT writes El-Rufai over sack of 21,780 teachers

    NUT writes El-Rufai over sack of 21,780 teachers

    …gives Governor 2 weeks ultimatum to rescind decision

    Primary and secondary school teachers in Kaduna State, under the auspices of Nigeria Union of Teachers ( NUT ) have issued a two weeks ultimatum to Governor Nasir El-Rufai to rescind his government’s decision to sack 21,780 primary teachers.

    NUT said, it has concluded arrangements to embark on an indefinite strike and shutdown schools if the Governor fails to shelve his sack plan by the end of the two weeks ultimatum.

    The umbrella union of primary and secondary school teachers at a press conference in Kaduna on Monday said, El-Rufai shifted the goal-post in the middle of the game.

    Chairman of the union, Comrade Audu Titus Amba who read their open letter to Governor El-Rufai before newsmen said, it was initially agreed by all stakeholders in the education sector that the pass mark for the competency test be pegged at 60 per cent, while those who are unable to score up to 60 per cent be retrained.

    According to the open letter signed by NUT Assistant Secretary General, Comrade Adamu Ango, “That, the NUT, Kaduna State Wing as a responsible stakeholder in the educational sector even though aware of the position of the law as it relates to the body statutorily empowered to regulate the teaching profession cooperated with the Kaduna State government under the mistaken believe that the intention of the state government was altruistic,  in the sense that it is aimed at enhancing state.  However,  with the benefit of hindsight we now know better.

    “That it is agreed by all stakeholders in the educational sector that the pass mark for the competency test be pegged at 60 per cent while those who are unable to score up to 60 per cent be retrained.

    “However, in a classical display of bad faith which started as a rumour, the Kaduna State government unilaterally and arbitrarily pegged the pass mark for the competency test at an unprecedented 75 per cent.

    “Your Excellency, while hosting a delegation of World Bank officials,  you announced to the whole world that 21,780 teachers will be disengaged in Kaduna State Public primary and secondary schools for not scoring up to 75 per cent in the competency test, while 25,000 will be recruited in their stead.

    “That, the NUT, Kaduna State Wing wrote a letter to you,  appealing to your conscience to rescind the decision above, but as usual,  you ignored the letter and went ahead with your avowed determination to impose your will against the consensus of bonafide stakeholders in the educational sector.

    “The NUT subsequently as a last resort and in the spirit of constitutional democracy,  rule of law,  due process decided to approach the National Industrial Court, Kaduna division to adjudicate on the issue of whether the Kaduna State government has the statutory power to conduct the competency test and which Court processes have been served on you and the office of the Attorney General.

    “However, contrary to all standards of decency in a democratic setting and in spite of the service of Court process on the Kaduna State government,  you have gone ahead to publish on your tweeter handle,  a list of teachers who purportedly passed the competency test by scoring 75 per cent and above.

    “All the above, leaves the Kaduna State Wing of the NUT with no option other than to serve the instant notice in compliance with the wishes of its members expressed at the meeting of the state wing executive council held on the 6th November,  2017“, the letter read.

  • Borno promotes 3,000 teachers

    Borno promotes 3,000 teachers

    The Borno Government on Sunday said it had promoted 3,000 teachers in an effort to improve teachers’ welfare and transform its education sector.

    Alhaji Kaka-Ali Abba, the Education Secretary, Maiduguri Municipal Council, said this in an interview in Maiduguri on Sunday.

    Abba said that the state government approved the promotion of teaching and non-teaching staff who had not benefitted from the exercise in the past eight years.

    According to him, the newly promoted teachers from 27 local government areas are currently awaiting payment of annual increment and promotion arrears.

    Abba said that the state government prioritised the education sector through school rehabilitation projects, provision of furniture and instructional materials as well as teacher development programmes.

    He said the Nigeria Union of Teachers ( NUT ) was working with the state government to ensure full implementation of the N18,000 minimum wage for teachers in eight local government areas.

    NAN