Primary school teachers in Kuje Area
Council of Abuja have embarked on an indefinite strike over the alleged failure
of the Council Chairman to reach agreement with the Nigeria Union of Teachers
(NUT).
The Chairman of the Kuje branch, Mr Audu
Lucky, disclosed this in a statement signed by four union executives and issued
to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kuje on Tuesday.
Lucky said the teachers in Kuje were no
longer ready to be taken for granted until their demands were met by the
Executive Chairman of Kuje Area Council, Mr Abdullahi Sabo.
He said: “The union observed with dismay
the non compliance by the Council Chairman to address the backlog of the Local
Education Authority (LEA) teachers’ outstanding entitlements.”
Lucky added that the union had sent a letter
to Sabo, with a reference number, NUT/169/5/138, dated 3/1/2023, while a letter
of ultimatum dated 2/12/2022, was also sent to him.
He said: “In view of the above, the union
leadership is calling on all LEA Primary schools teachers in Kuje Area council
to proceed on an indefinite strike action with effect from Monday, 9th Jan,
2023, until further notice.
“LEA Kuje primary school teachers are
hereby directed to comply with this directive, please.”
Lucky listed the demands to include:
payment of salaries to 2018 recruited teachers whose salaries were abruptly
stopped by the council Chairman in September 2022.
”Submission of the agreed template of
payment of LEA teacher’s arrears to the JAAC Secretariat and continuation of
the payment to Concerned teachers.
“Payment of salary to 2022 reabsorbed
teachers, who have been working through January to December 2022 without
salary.”
According to Lucky, based on these demands,
the branch and state organs of the union requested to meet with the Council
Chairman but he refused to meet with them.
He affirmed that the union had directed all
primary schools teachers in the area to stay away from their duty posts while
parents were advised to keep their children and wards safe at home.
All efforts by NAN to get the comments of
Sabo proved abortive as he did not return various telephone calls made to his
line, just as he did not reply two SMS messages sent to him.
However, the Chairman of the FCT Universal
Education Board, Dr Alhassan Sule said the board was doing everything humanly
possible to resolve the crisis.
Sule said; “And I was telling the chairman
that he should not allow only his local government to experience such an
unfortunate situation.
“We are on top of the situation and we will
soon convene a meeting between the union, the Area Council and the board with a
view to finding plausible solutions to the problem.
“Education is very crucial as it is the
foundation of every development and the FCT is not handling it with kid gloves.
“Education is the foundation of everything
in life. Keeping these children at home is very dangerous.” (NAN)