18th August, 2016
Mr Francis Jatau, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Nasarawa State chapter, said on Thursday that the union would suspend its ongoing strike across the state on Monday, Aug. 22.
Jatau made this known during a meeting with the state House of Assembly Committee on Education, Science and Technology in Lafia.
He, however, said this could only be done if the teachers receive their June/July salary before Saturday, Aug. 20.
Jatau said that the unions embarked on the two-month-old strike to press home their protest against “percentage payment” of their salaries and non-payment of arrears, among other issues.
“First and foremost, I want to commend the assembly committee for inviting us for a meeting in order to end the ongoing primary school teachers strike across the state.
“The union went on strike on three issues which include lack of payment of teachers’ arrears, percentage payment of salaries and payment of teachers’ salaries by the Ministry of Local Government instead of the state Universal Education Board (SUBEB).
“As you are pleading with us to suspend the strike, we are also pleading with you to address our challenges, most importantly to move our salaries and other activities of the primary school teachers to be controlled by the SUBEB as recognized by the law.
“We will suspend the strike on Monday, Aug. 22 if our June/July salary were paid between now and Saturday Aug.20 in the interest of our pupils and for the overall development of the education sector and the state at large”, Jatau said.
He called on members of the public, especially parents, to bear with the union, adding that the “strike is not to witch-hunt pupils but to improve on the standard of education in the state.”
Earlier, Mr Daniel Oga-Ogazi, (APC-Kokona East), the Chairman of the committee, pleaded with the union to suspend the strike in the interest of the education sector.
“As you can see, all members of this committee are here. The aim of calling this meeting is to appeal to you to suspend your ongoing strike for the sake of the poor, ordinary people as well as for the sake of the primary school pupils.
“Because there are social, economic and other implications associated with any strike and the strike is affecting the education sector, lives of the people and the socio-economic development of the state and the country negatively,” he said.
He assured the union of the committee’s readiness to do everything humanly possible to address their challenges to resolve the dispute.
On June 13, teachers in the state, under the aegis of the NUT, commenced an indefinite strike to press home their demands.