The Kogi State chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) has directed teachers in the state to ignore the call by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) to join the ongoing strike in some states.
The state NUT Chairman, Comrade Sanni Mohammed Amin, told The Nation on phone that the NUT was not surprised by ASUSS’s decision.
He said: “You know, in any struggle like this, there must be some saboteurs. This is because the struggle is not for Kogi State alone; it is for the benefit of all of us. But if they take sides with the government by not joining us in this struggle, they can go ahead. We will, however, go ahead with the strike until the government attends to our demands.”
In a statement by the state ASUSS Chairman, Ojo Ranti Matthew, and Secretary, Oguche Monday Abraham, the union said it is different from the NUT.
ASUSS noted that it would be an aberration, an unlawful and unreasonable action for any teacher in any secondary school in the state to participate in a strike declared by the NUT.
They added that on the 27.5 per cent Teachers’ Specific Allowance (TSA) was not fought for by the NUT but by the ASSUS.
Pupils currently writing the Basic Education Certificate Examination and officials of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) monitoring the compliance with its strike have clashed in Makurdi and Vande-Ikya Local Government areas of Benue State.
The NUT officials stormed some primary schools, insisting that the examination must be stopped in compliance with the directive from the NUT headquarters on the ongoing primary school teachers’ strike.
But the pupils, who were already in their examination halls in Makurdi and Vandeikya, chased away NUT officials with sticks and stones.
Primary and secondary school teachers in Edo State were yesterday divided over compliance with the strike.
Members of the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) ignored the action and reported for work.
Secondary school pupils were seen in classrooms receiving lectures though primary schools were under lock and key.
Primary school teachers stayed away from work, despite the directive from the state government that they should report for duty.
ASUSS National President Ifaluyi Osaruyi told The Nation on phone that the NUT cannot order his colleagues to go on strike.
Ifaluyi said the Edo State Government has begun the payment of 17.5 per cent of the 27 per cent under an agreement that the balance would be paid when the revenue increases.
He said his members would continue to teach in the state.
But NUT state Chairman Patrick Ikomisi said the government had not called members of the union for any negotiation to end the strike.
Patrick said some secondary school teachers did not report for duty, adding that ASUSS leadership was playing with teachers’ destiny.
The Commissioner for Basic Education, Patrick Agwuinede, could not be reached for comments.
The Ebonyi State Government yesterday said it has begun negotiations with the state chapter of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) on the payment of 27.5 per cent “teachers’ peculiar allowance”.
Schools in the state carried on with their normal academic activities, despite the order by the National Executive of the union for the indefinite strike.
The NUT national executive had directed 11 states chapters of the union, including Ebonyi, to begin the action over non-payment of 27.5 per cent “teachers’ peculiar allowance” by the affected state governments.
The affected states, according to the NUT National President, Comrade Michael Olukoya, are: Benue, Cross River, Bornu, Ekiti, Ogun, Ebonyi, Edo, Kogi, Niger, Zamfara and Sokoto.
The pronouncement, it was learnt, forced the Ebonyi State Government to begin negotiations with the union. The Special Adviser to the Governor on Labour Relations Comrade John Nwaokerekwu said the negotiation was progressing smoothly.
He said: “There is no problem that will trigger a strike by the NUT. We have started dialoguing and none of the two parties has so far disagreed. There is dialogue, there is negotiation and there is collective bargaining. We are still at the level of dialogue and none of the two parties is disagreeing…”
The Ekiti State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has said it will cooperate with the directive of its national body on an indefinite strike until issues on the 27.5 per cent pay rise are addressed.
The state Secretary of the union, Comrade Idris Jamiu, told The Nation that although Governor Kayode Fayemi had met with the union several times on the matter, “no specific headway has been made and no agreement has been reached”.
Jamiu added: “The state government has not given us our request. The strike is on and it is indefinite. It is a case of ‘no retreat, no surrender’. I should add that the only thing that can make us return to work is the full implementation of the 27.5 per cent.”
Members of the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) in the state have joined their counterparts in the NUT.
Although efforts to reach officials of the union on phone were unsuccessful, our correspondent who went round secondary schools in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, reports that members of the union stayed away from work.
Some teachers, who spoke in confidence, noted that though the current administration has done well for the teachers and students through various programmes, they were still participating in the strike because of the directive.
A teacher said: “Personally, I know the governor (Dr. Kayode Fayemi) is trying for the teachers in this state. I can boldly say that teachers in Ekiti today have never had it so good. Besides loans, which we easily access now, we have also undergone trainings and got laptops.
“Although we are paying for the laptops, so many of us, who had never known or interacted with a computer before, already know a lot about the device. We apply what we learn to teaching the students. But we have to join the strike. The government should try and accede to the request.”
Niger State teachers yesterday taught their pupils normal classes.
