OGUN PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHERS PROTEST AGAINST TRANSFER OF SALARY PAYMENT TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Ogun State primary school teachers in their hundreds on Friday embarked on peaceful protest with a plea to the government not to transfer their remuneration to the present local council in the state.

The protesters with various placards also just threw their weight in support of local government autonomy.They took their protest to Ogun state governor,Senator Ibikunle Amosun and speaker of the assembly, How Suraj Adekunbi.

They argued that the council presently constituted in the country could not afford to pay the teachers’ remuneration,buttressing their with placards carrying inscriptions such as “Basic Education is a Right and must be Protected by all”, Payment of Primary School Teachers Salary must not be Toyed with ” and” Our Children Future must be Secured ” among others.

The Chairman of Nigeria Union of Teachers,  Mr Titi Adebanjo, who led the protest, explained that the protest was directed by the national leadership of NUT having considered the recent agitation for LG autonomy in the country.

He pointed out that it was necessary to reaffirmed the position of NUT that payment of salaries of primary school teachers be taken over by the Federal and State government to prevent the sector from imminent collapse.

The chairman noted that the concern of leadership of NUT was the damaging consequences of handing over of primary education to local government, should the agitation for local autonomy was granted.

“We are not totally against local government autonomy. We are concerned about the likelihood of consigning primary education to local government councils which neither have the financial capacity nor political will to fund and manage primary schools in the country”, he said.

“Presently, primary school teachers are being owed salaries for months in a number of states due to the inability of the local government councils to provide funds for payment of salaries of teachers. This may create a situation of demoralisation and hopelessness. This unwholesomeness situation is not likely to abate soon. This potends danger for public primary education and the future of under privileged children in the country, ” he added.

Governor Ibikunle Amosun in response while addressing the protesters, said he acknowledged the contribution of teachers towards the socio-economy development of the State, emphasizing that he was not against local government autonomy but insisted that he would not be a party to any arrangement that would not guarantee regular payment of teachers’ salaries.

 “I am not against local government autonomy but I will not be a party to whatever arrangement that will delay the payment of teachers  salaries or that will not guarantee regular payment of their salaries”, Amosun said.

He added “I am not against local government autonomy what I am saying is this, autonomy that you are giving without the necessary wherewithal will cause chaos because even as we speak today, local governments with what is coming from the Federal Government, cannot pay their staff salaries.”

“So if you teachers within the length and breadth of Nigeria feel that putting you under the local government will bring what I call insecurity, particularly on how you are going to be paid at the end of the month then I think it calls for concern.”

“I’m sure that those in charge of making the law when they are even enacting the law will look into that aspect.”

I don’t see anything wrong in even creating the first line charge for our teachers so I align completely with what you said but I’m not against local government autonomy.”

The speaker,  Him Suraj Adekunbi, while addressing protesters assured the teachers that its request for the take-over of payment of its teachers by the government would be included in the course of the ongoing constitutional review.

He explained that the constitutional amendment by the National Assembly was a public affair aimed at further strengthening all sectors of the nation’s economy.