Crisis looms in Edo as teachers issue 14-day strike notice to Obaseki

Wednesday, December 30, 2020 7:50 pm

The man in the eye of the storm, Godwin Obaseki

By Jethro Ibileke/Benin

Crisis looms over the primary education sector of Edo State, as the State Chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), on Tuesday issued a 14-day strike notice to the state government over alleged failure to meet its financial entitlements and other obligations.

The strike notice is contained in a communiqué dated 29 December, 2020, issued on 29 December, 2020, after the union’s enlarged state wing executive council meeting.

State Chairman of NUT, Pius Okhueleigbe, Assistant General Secretary, Moni Mike Modesty

and four others, signed the communique.

It noted that the 14-day ultimatum which takes effect from Tuesday, 29 December 2020, was to enable the Edo State government meet its demands to the union.

It further recalled that the state government has not taken any tangible step to meet the demands of the union as outlined in the 21-day notice of indefinite strike it issued on 8 December, 2020.

“It agreed that Edo Best Programme needs urgent surgical examination to determine “its true state of health” so that government will be able to correct the “seeming window-dressing” and improve on the fortunes of the programme.

“It also agreed that the contributory pension scheme started in 2017 in Edo state.

“It however, observed that if primary school teachers are to enroll, the tier of government that will be responsible for the monthly remittance of 10 percent to the pension account of individual teachers must have the resources to do so as well as cater for the accrued gratuity entitlements of teachers prior to the commencement of the scheme, as provided in the law,” it said.

The union, who said that its called for the removal of Mary Oseghale as the Acting Education Secretary of Esan North-East local government authority still stands, also declared her as persona non grata.

It however, urged the primary school teachers in the state to continue to mobilize for an indefinite strike action while awaiting further directives on take-off date, from the state wing executive.

Meanwhile, the Edo state council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has thrown its weight behind the proposed strike by the primary school teachers.

The NLC gave its nod to the NUT’s proposed strike in a letter titled “Re:Communique” dated, December 16, 2020 and signed by its acting secretary, Barry Osaro Imade.