Teachers demand transfer of primary school salary to states

Wednesday, November 22, 2017 6:15 pm

Adamu Adamu, Nigeria’s Education Minister

Primary school teachers across Nigeria are demanding that responsibility for payment of the salaries should be taken off the Local Government of the third tier of government is to be granted autonomy as being demanded by some Nigerians.

The teachers made the demand during protests organised under the auspices of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in various parts of the country on Wednesday.

In Abuja, the teachers, led by Mr Stephen Khabayi, took their protest to the office ofthe FCT minister, Malam Bello.

Khabayi said the protest was to reiterate its earlier stand that autonomous body like the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) be allowed to oversee teacher’s salary in case of LG autonomy.

According to him, this is imperative following the ruling of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in its 2002 judgement in the case of Attorney General for the Federation versus Attorney General of the 36 states.

“The court held that the responsibility of providing and managing primary school education in the country obviously lies with the state government,” he said.

He said that it was against this background that the National Executive Council of the NUT redirected its entire states wing including the FCT, to carry out a solidarity rally rejecting the autonomy.

He said that this made the NUT-FCT embarked on a peaceful rally against granting full autonomy to local government.

Mr Sunday Affang, Director Operation, Planning and Strategy Office of Permanent Secretary, FCTA, received the protest letter from the teachers.

Speaking on behalf of the minister, Affang promised to relay their message, while assuring them of immediate response from the minister.

In Edo State, the teachers asked the state’s House of Assembly to reject any Bill prescribing transfer of payment of teachers’ salary to local government councils.

Chairman of the union in the state, Mr Iyalomhe Akhagbeme, who led the protest, said that transferring the salary from state to local government would jeopardise smooth payment of primary school teachers in the state.

He, however, stated that the teachers were not opposed to autonomy for local government.

Akhagbehme said that funding of education should remain the responsibility of State and Federal Government.

He said “we are not against local government autonomy but they should know that primary education is the bedrock for every educational development”.

The teachers carried placards with inscriptions “Save Primary Education from Imminent Collapse”, “Funding of Primary Education is Joint Responsibility of State and Federal Government.”

Receiving the teachers on behalf of leadership of the Assembly, the Public Relations Officer, Mr Dayo Erimiakhena, told them that the legislature was not in session as it had adjourned on Tuesday for a short period.

He, however, said that the teachers’ message was clearly understood and assured that it would be conveyed to the leadership of the Assembly.