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  • NUT seeks better package for primary schools

    NUT seeks better package for primary schools

    The Nigeria Union of Teachers ( NUT ), Lagos chapter, has called the State Government to address primary schools and improve the welfare of their teachers.

    Mr Adeshina Adedoyin, the state Deputy Chairman of the union, made the appeal in an interview on Monday in Lagos.

    Adedoyin noted that primary school infrastructure needed uplift, while teachers had not benefitted from the government especially in the area of promotion.

    He said though the state government had been informed about the development and had in turn promised to address the situation, an urgent solution was needed.

    Read also: NUT begins strike over teachers’ sack in Kaduna

    According to him, delay in the implementation of the welfare with reference to promotion will affect so many things.

    “As schools resume in this new year, it is important that primary education be considered especially the welfare of teachers and in the scheme of things.

    “It is because it could boost the morale of the teachers if they are given the same treatment as their counter parts in secondary schools.

    “I know that the state government have being workers friendly and would do the needful to address the situation,” the unionist said.

    However, he appreciated the state government for the 30 per cent bonus that was given to workers during the yuletide.

    The labour leader also urged teachers to put in their best to appreciate the effort of the government which pays salaries as at when due.

    “Members should do more to complement the effort of the government; all hands should be on deck.

    “Lagos state government have maintained a good name generally and I know that the good name will not be dragged into the mud.

    “Teachers should not bask in the euphoria of the improved annual performance impression of students but do more so as to sustain it,” he said.

    Besides, the unionist urged government to ensure that schools prone to security threat especially the boarding houses were secured with community policing and para-military.

    NAN

  • NUT begins strike over teachers’ sack in Kaduna

    The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Kaduna State has directed its member to begin indefinite strike today to protest the sack of 21,780 public primary school teachers.

    This is contained in a January 4 notice of strike, signed by the union’s Assistant Secretary General, Adamu Anglo.

    The teachers were sacked for allegedly scoring below the 75 per cent pass mark in the competency test organised by the government in June 2017.

    The notice, circulated to union executives in the 23 local government areas, said a two-week ultimatum was earlier issued to the government to reverse its decision.

    According to the union, the decision has become necessary after the government issued sack letters to the affected teachers after the Christmas and New Year holidays.

    The strike notice reads: “As a responsible union, we ventilated our grievances before the National Industrial Court, Kaduna, and the court, on December 4, granted an interlocutory injunction restraining the government from disengaging any teacher pending the determination of the case.

    “The order was served to Governor Nasir El-Rufai, but surprisingly, he went on to order the distribution of letters of disengagement to the affected teachers, dated November 3, 2017.

    “We, therefore, met on January 4, and unanimously resolved to embark on indefinite strike today.”

    The notice also highlighted other unresolved issues with the government, such as compulsory retirement of secondary school teachers before their due date, as against the 35 years of service or 60 years of age provided by civil service rules.

    Other issues include unpaid 2015 leave transport grant to 3,338 primary school teachers, as well as 2016 and 2017 leave transport grant to all public school teachers, despite deductions at source.

     

  • Court dismisses suit against NUT members

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

    The Magistrate, Chinedu Osuma, discharged and acquitted them for lack of proof by the plaintiff.

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

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

    Osuma 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 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 overrule 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 are hereby discharged and acquitted of the four counts in the charge. The prosecution has failed to establish the ingredients in each of the counts in the charge. This is the ruling of this court.”

    The prosecutor, Alex Ibendiogwu, told the court that the accused stole blocks, sand, granite, shovels, wheel barrows, wooden pegs, ropes and 12 iron buckets.

    He said the goods, valued at N35,979,300, belonged to NARZCO Nigeria Ltd.

    Ibendiogwu said the offences contravened   sections 516, 390 (9) and 415 of the Criminal Code Cap C21 Vol. 1 Laws of Delta State, Nigeria, 2006.

  • NUT rejects El Rufai’s competency test

    NUT rejects El Rufai’s competency test

    The Nigerian Union of Teachers, NUT, have condemned the plan by Kaduna state government to sack over 21,000 teachers for failing a competency test conducted in the state for Teachers.

    National President of the Union, Michael Alogba Olukoya stated this in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi state capital after the National Executive Council meeting of the Union on Friday.

    The Union in rejecting the competency test said that, not only did the test not pass the test and measurement standard, but also it was illegal and unconstitutional.

    “The Nigerian Union of Teachers totally condemn the decision by Kaduna State Government to sack over 21,000 teachers from its employment over purported incompetence based on an unstructured competency test. The Union strongly rejects in its entirety the purpose, intent, process and the outcome of the exercise and hereby call for the immediate cancellation of the results of the competency test”

    “It is common knowledge that teaching is a profession regulated by a statutory and competent body(TRCN) which is saddled with the responsibility of administering test and the registration of Teachers. To do anything otherwise by the state government in this regard is an infringement on the profession and the extant laws of the land”’

    Mr Olukoya expressed his disappointed at the undemocratic actions of the state governor, Nassir El Ruffai who it alleged have refused to heed the numerous calls by the Union and other organisations to soft pedal on the matter and toe the part of dialogue.

    “Teachers are democrats, Kaduna state government should respect the rule of law. They don’t have to wake up from comfort of their room and administer question for teachers in the name of interviews, it is never done. Whatever we have to do, let it be in the rule of law, we should do things that are legal. Anybody could call dog bad name because you want to hang it. The government of Kaduna has made up their minds to embarrass the teachers, to disgrace the teachers”.

    “There are rules that govern tense and measurements; measurement is a course
    of its own in education. When you are not a professional you are administering questions for teachers that are professionals, it is never done. The test that is being administered by Kaduna state government has not passed tense and measurement questions, there are not standard
    questions”.

    “Let me say this without being the modest. Governor El’ Rufai is one of the people that are outspoken among the governors today. But when it comes to democratic traits, we are disappointed. We have written him even before now. Nigeria Labour Congress has written
    him. There is no organization that has not written to Governor El’Rufai but here you are. And we now begin to look at his antecedents. Even if you want to bring a change, it has to follow
    procedure and what we are saying is that Governor Rufai has been written but he has not replied us”.

    The Union vowed to vehemently resist the planned mass sack of teachers of the Kaduna state government.

    “The Union wishes to reiterate its stand to mobilize any attempt to sack teachers based on any illegal process. We hereby, strongly advise Kaduna state Government to focus on organizing the necessary training and re-training of teachers through the relevant training facilities as it is incumbent upon the government to improve on the quality of teachers and school administration for enhanced productivity”.

    The Teachers also gave an ultimatum to states owing Teachers salaries to clear them before end of the year.

    “The Union totally condemn the inhuman treatment of teachers as is manifested in the unpaid arrears of salaries/pensions to teachers in Kogi, Benue and many other states ranging from 2-22 months, thus putting the teaming teachers in these states permanently in penury”.

    “The Union has decided against the background of all these unhealthy and unacceptable developments that enough is enough. There is no more time for rhetorics. The time is now for teachers to take their destiny into their hands to salvage the deteriorating condition that they have been forced into”.

    “The National Executive Council of the Union has therefore resolved that the governments of all the affected states owing salaries and pensions of teachers should offset such debts before the end of the year 2017, failing which the union will be left with no other option than to shut down schools in all the affected states” .

  • NUT warns El-Rufai not to sack teachers

    NUT warns El-Rufai not to sack teachers

    •Union threatens strike if governor dismisses 21,780 tutors

    The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Kaduna State has said it will go on strike, if Governor Nasir El-Rufai sacked 21,780 teachers.

    The union gave the governor a two-week ultimatum to rescind his decision or face an indefinite strike.

    NUT, at a news conference yesterday, said El-Rufai “shifted the goal-post in the middle of the game”.

    The Chairman, Comrade Audu Titus Amba, who read their letter to El-Rufai, said the pass mark for the competency test was pegged at 60 per cent, while those who score below this would be retrained.

    The letter, signed by the Assistant Secretary General, Comrade Adamu Ango, reads: “…that, the NUT, Kaduna State, as a responsible stakeholder in the education sector, though aware of the position of the law as it relates to the body empowered to regulate the teaching profession, cooperated with the Kaduna State government, under the mistaken belief that the government’s intention was altruistic, and aimed at enhancing the state.

    “However, with the benefit of hindsight, we now know better.

    “…that it was agreed by stakeholders that the pass mark be pegged at 60 per cent, while those who score below this be retrained.

    “However, in a display of bad faith, the government arbitrarily pegged the pass mark at an unprecedented 75 per cent.

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

    “…that the NUT wrote an appeal letter to you, to rescind your decision, but you ignored us, and imposed your will against the consensus of bonafide stakeholders.

    “The NUT subsequently decided to approach the National Industrial Court to adjudicate on the issue.

    “However, contrary to all standards of decency in a democratic setting, and despite the service of court process on the government, you published a list of teachers who purportedly passed the competency test.

    “All the above leaves the NUT with no option 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 November 6.”

  • Kaduna NUT plans fasting, prayers over plans to sack 20,000 teachers

    Kaduna NUT plans fasting, prayers over plans to sack 20,000 teachers

    The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Zaria Local Government Area Branch, will on Tuesday begin three days of fasting and prayers to seek God’s intervention on the planned sack of 20,000 primary school teachers.

    Kaduna State Government had conducted an examination for primary school teachers in the state and said 68 percent of the teachers (20,000) did not pass the primary four pupils’ exam at an excellent level.

    Malam Yahaya Abbas, NUT Chairman in Zaria Local Government Area, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Zaria on Monday that the teachers were compelled to seek God’s intervention over the planned sack.

    Abbas said: “Majority of our members here are Muslims and we do not have anywhere to lodge our complaint except to our creator.

    “Therefore, we intend to start a three-day fasting on Oct. 17, in addition to prayers, to seek God’s intervention on the planned mass sack of our members whom government said did not pass its examination.

                     Related: Unpaid salaries hurting teachers’ morale

    “There is no way for everybody to score “A” grade in an examination; that is 75 percent, this is not what was agreed with the union representatives.

    “The agreement was that the pass mark should be 60 percent not 75 percent. Again, the result of the examination is not yet out but the government said it will sack 20,000 teachers.”

    He said that the government still owed some teachers salary arrears of between three months and 13 months, while some of them were being underpaid.

    According to him, the primary schools across the state are understaffed, hence, the need for government to recruit more teachers instead of sacking the existing ones.

    “I can assure you that there is one female teacher who teaches 200 pupils in a class due to a shortage of teaching staff.

    “Again, sacking of experienced teachers and recruiting new ones is not the solution because anybody who bagged a National Certificate in Education or degree in the last 10 years must have been taught by these categories of teachers.

                          Also: Kaduna to employ 25,000 teachers

    “Therefore, if the government argued that the present calibre of teachers are not qualified, then, how do you expect their products to be better than the teachers’?” he asked.

    Abbas said that Gov. Nasiru El-Rufa’i had promised not to terminate the appointment of any teacher, but those who performed below expectation in the exam would be subjected to training.

    “Initially, Gov. El-Rufa’i said he would never sack any teacher but he would ensure that those who failed the exam were given the necessary training to catch up.

    “According to him, those who cannot catch up will be given another duty but we do not know what happened that he changed his mind and descended on the teachers,” Abbas noted.

    The chairman said that as responsible unionists, the teachers did not intend to go on rampage or embark on strike; instead, “we have resolved to take the matter to our creator for quick intervention.”

  • NUT President to states owing salaries: Enough is enough

    NUT President to states owing salaries: Enough is enough

    National President, Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Michael Olukoya-Alogba, on Monday, issued a warning to states owing its members backlog of salaries, saying enough is enough.

    The NUT President said this in an interview with our reporter on MOnday in Abuja.

    He said the union would embark on strike if state governments continue to owe its members.

    He said: “Tell the government, our employers, that we will not allow this to continue. It is not going to be sympathy as before.

    “All the states that are owing-seventeen of them, we gave them the last warning, that if the trend should continue, we should not be held responsible because the moment we now go on strike, or we try to tell our people to do to the contrary, they will be saying that we are being sponsored.

    “We have seen the opportunity on the 5th (World Teachers’ Day) to tell them that look, enough will soon be enough. Again, apart from the welfare something, we have the working condition of teachers. Our schools-many of them, no furniture. Infrastructural decay, we are not going to allow this to continue.”

    He said the National Executive Council of the union will meet next week in Bayelsa to take a decision on states owing its members.

    “We are going to meet in Bayelsa next week and take stock of all the states, especially from on the fifth to Thursday next week. It is at that meeting we are now going to know the next line of action.

    “Like I told you if teachers should embark on strike the next allegation that you will hear is that it is the opposition party, it is some people that are sponsoring, forgetting that majority of the states are not being controlled by one party.

    “Our own is an issue not political. The time lag is not yet specified, but I assure you that after next week there will be a public pronouncement on this,” he said.

    He also urged the federal government not to return primary education to local governments, saying the decision will be met with stiff resistance.

    “We have told them this year it is not going to be an annual rhetoric. We are going to match it up with action and we are going to start from all these orchestrated local government autonomy. We are not opposed to it as teachers but don’t tie primary education to local government autonomy because he that wears the shoe knows where it pinches and experience they say is the best teachers.

    “Local governments have been saddled with the responsibility of controlling and managing primary education in the past it has recorded total failure. We cannot take this. What we are saying is that modify your local government autonomy, but don’t attach primary education,” comrade Olukoya-Alogba said.

    The NUT President warned that social vices would continue in the society as long as governments at all levels continue to neglect education.

  • NUT decries shortage of teachers in Ondo

    The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Ondo State yesterday expressed concern that the government has not recruited teachers for primary and secondary schools in 10 years.

    State NUT Chairman Oladele Amoko said some primary schools, especially in rural and coastal areas, had only one teacher in a school with over 200 pupils.

    In such a situation, Amoko said, only one teacher was compelled to teach primaries one to six.

    The union leader said this was multi-grade teaching, which he described as aberration in a school setting.

    Speaking yesterday at this year’s World Teachers’ Day, the NUT chairman urged Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) to recruit teachers.

    The union leader noted that a stress-free qualitative basic education is the right of every Nigerian child.

    He added that by next year, over 1,000 teachers are expected to retire from primary school alone, thereby worsening the situation.

    Amoko urged the government to give priority to renovation of schools with furniture and other materials to guarantee qualitative education for the children.

    He expressed concern about the dangers in transferring the funding and management of primary education to local government areas.

    According to him, should autonomy be granted to the local governments, it will be difficult for teachers to get their salaries regularly because local governments lack the financial capacity and political will to pay primary school teachers.

    In his keynote address, titled: Teaching in Freedom, Empowering Teachers, the chairman of the occasion and Deputy Vice Chancellor of Adekunle Ajasin University at Akungba-Akoko (AAUA) Prof Olugbenga Ige said the success of empowering teachers to freely teach would depend on addressing challenges in the educational system.

    He said: “Empowering teachers will not only secure their professional freedom but equally help in building their confidence and stimulate job satisfaction.”

    The expert noted that when teachers are appropriately empowered, dedication, professionalism and expertise in the teaching and learning process would be guaranteed.

    Akeredolu, who was represented by the commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Femi Agagu, assured the people that his administration will meet their demands.

    The governor said an education summit to enhance the standard of education will hold on October 26 and 27.

    He said the programme was initiated to allow stakeholders meet minds on how to lift the Education sector.

     

  • N10.3bn spent in teachers’ training in two years – Buhari

    N10.3bn spent in teachers’ training in two years – Buhari

    The Federal Government spent about N10.3 billion to train 229, 286 basic education teachers in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), President Muhammadu Buhari said on Thursday.

    He said the funds were for the development and capacity building of primary and secondary school teachers across the country within the last two years.

    President Buhari stated these at the 2017 World Teachers’ Day in Abuja.

    Buhari, who was represented by Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, said the funds were made available under the Teacher Development Programme (TDP) of the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEC).

    The President said: “In 2015, more than N5.9billion of the 2014 TDP fund was utilized to build the capacity of 229, 286 basic education teachers in 36 states and FCT.

    “The areas where the capacities of teachers were built included numeracy, literacy, phonics, pedagogy and professional conduct, among others.

    “On-the-job capacity of 132,682 teachers was enhanced in 2016 by investing more than N4.4 billion of 2015 TPD fund in teacher-training.”

    Buhari, who commended the teachers’ efforts in developing Nigeria, said his administration has put in place several measures to motivate teachers, including the provision of a brand new car for teacher of the year.

    In his remarks at the event, National president, Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Comrade Michael Alogba, commended the Federal Government over its continued support to teachers.

    He, however, expressed concerns over the issue of unpaid teachers’ salaries in 17 states.

    He also lamented the recruitment of non-professional teachers under the Federal Government N-Power Teaching Programme to teach in schools.

    “Mr. President Sir, permit me to draw your attention to the plight of primary and secondary school teachers across the country, resulting from the non-payment of their salaries and allowances for several months despite the bail-out funds and Paris Club refunds made available to states by Federal Government.

    “As at the end of September, primary and secondary school teachers were owed two to 11 months salaries in 17 states in the country.

    “Worse still, some state governments have since adopted the inhuman act of paying monthly salaries in fractions, without any guarantee that the remaining part of the salaries will be paid to the teachers,” Olukoya-Alogba said.

     

     

  • #TeachersDay: Teachers demand 65years retirement age

    #TeachersDay: Teachers demand 65years retirement age

    The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has demanded that the retirement of its members working in primary and secondary schools in the country be raised from 60 to 65 years.

    Mr Michael Olukoya, the National President of NUT made the call at the 2017 World Teachers’ Day celebration in Abuja on Thursday.

    The theme of this year’s day is: “Teaching in Freedom, Empowering Teachers’’.

    Olukoya said that the retirement age for teachers in the Colleges of Education, Polytechnics and Universities was extended to 65 and 70 respectively.

    He said that doing the same with the primary and secondary schools would remove the segregation since they all belonged to the same teaching industry.

    “The more years a teacher spends on the job, the better he delivers his service to the learners given the benefit of the experiences gathered over the years and the wisdom of age.

    “The older the teacher, the more caring and tolerant he is to the students with improved dexterity in the pedagogy of teaching required over time.

    “It is for this and other similar reasons that the retirement age of lecturers and professors in the tertiary institution was extended to 65 and 70 years,’’ he said.

    The NUT president also called on the Federal Government to look into the plight of primary and secondary school teachers across the country arising from the non-payment of their salaries and allowances for several months.

    He said that as at the end of September, primary and secondary school teachers were owed between two and 11 months salaries in 17 states in the country.

    He decried that this was becoming worrisome.

    “Some state government has since adopted the inhuman act of paying monthly salaries infractions without any guarantee that the remaining part of the salaries will be paid to the teachers.

    “In the same vein, promotions are yet to be implemented for teachers for two to eight years in some states.

    “This situation has brought untold hardship to the affected teachers and has expectedly taken its toll on public education with its attendant effect on the underprivileged children’’.

    He called on state and local government to effect payment of the backlogs of salaries and other entitlement owed teachers without further delay.

    On the issue of the grade level of graduate teachers, Olukoya said that graduate teachers in the primary and secondary schools were meant to terminate on GL 14 and 16 respectively in some states of the federation.

    He said that this was an act of discrimination which was unacceptable while calling for justice, equity and fair play.

    He called on the relevant authority to extend the terminal grade level of graduate teachers of both primary and secondary schools to grade levels 17 as obtainable with other graduates of public servants.

    He, however, urged the Ministry of Education to facilitate the development of a comprehensive scheme of service for primary and secondary school teachers.