NUT's strike grounds schools resumption in Edo, as court restrains teachers

Godwin-Obaseki-1

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State

Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State

By Jethro Ibileke/Benin

Public primary school teachers in Edo State on Monday stuck to their guns, as they shunned the resumption order of Governor Godwin Obaseki.

The Governor had threatened to invoke the ‘no work, no pay policy,’ if the teachers, under the auspice of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), failed to cut their indefinite strike and resume for academic activities at their respective schools.

The stay at home order of the teachers grounded academic activities in most public primary schools visited by our correspondent.

Some of the schools in Benin City were devoid of the usual hustling and bustling by students, and the regular academic activities, as teachers were conspicuously absent.

The Edo State wing of NUT had on January 18, 2021, declared a state-wide indefinite strike to protest against the non-fulfillment of its 10-point demands by the state government.

In reaction, the state government last Thursday, in a statement by the secretary to the state government, Osarodion Ogie, threatened activation of ‘no work, no pay policy’ on any defaulting teachers who failed to resume.

But the state leadership of NUT, in a statement on Sunday, advised parents to keep their children and wards out of public primary school yesterday, insisting that its indefinite strike is in force.

Meanwhile, the state government has allegedly deployed some staff of local government education authority and State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), to teach in schools where few pupils were present.

At Emokpae Model Primary School, along Mission Road, only four female suspected to be teachers were present at the school while pupils were seen in only two classrooms.

One of the teachers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they obeyed the state government ordered for the sake of the children, adding that education is not about NUT or state government, but for the sake of the children.

At Agbado Primary School, along Akpakpava road, there were no pupils on sight, but only three staff who said they were not members of NUT, but from SUBEB and local government education authority, were on ground waiting for the children.

Also at Igbesamwan Model Primary School, off Akpakpava road, four persons suspected to be staff of SUBEB and local Government education authority who were in the school said they attended to few pupils that were present in the school.

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At Asoro Primary School, only one teacher was in the school attending to very few pupils who converged in a one classroom.

“I am here to ensure that nobody disturbs you people. Anybody has a right to protest or agitate, but you cannot ask others that are ready to work not to work,” he said.

It was gathered that teachers in public primary schools in other part of the state, like Auchi, Owan East, Ovia South-west, Ovia North-east local government areas complied with the NUT strike directive.

Commenting, the Assistant Secretary-General of NUT, Edo State, Moni Modesty Itua, described the strike as total across the 18 local government areas.

He commended the teachers for the total compliance, while he urged them to remain resolute in the fight for freedom until otherwise directed by the union.

He, however, expressed hope that with the total compliance the state government mIGHT call the leadership for a negotiation.

Secretary to the State Government, Barr. Osarodion Ogie, was at Emokpae Model Primary School, to monitoring compliance of teachers to the state government’s resumption directive.

Ogie, while addressing the few teachers present, urged them to carry out their duty, adding that it was not a crime for some person to protest but it was not also right for the protesters to deprive others from carrying out their duty.

Meanwhile, the National Industrial Court, sitting at the Benin Judicial Division, has restrained the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), from proceeding on any strike action in Edo state primary schools.

Hon. Justice A. A. Adewemimo, gave the order on Monday, February 1, after listening to submissions put forward by the Edo State Solicitor-General, Oluwole Iyamu, SAN.

The State Government and the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) are the applicants in the case with Suit No. NICN/BEN/04/2021.

The defendants in the suit are Chairman, NUT, Edo State, Pius O. Okhuleliegbe; Assistant Secretary-General, NUT, Edo State, Moni Mike Modesty Itua, for themselves and on behalf of the members of the Edo State wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT).

Delivering her ruling, the Honourable Justice restrained the Chairman and Assistant Secretary-General respectively of NUT, Edo State, either acting through themselves or their agents or privies from embarking on any strike pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice, which was fixed for Tuesday, February 9th, 2021.

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