THE Nigeria Union of Teachers has vowed to ensure that Federal Government implement the 27.5 per cent teachers’ professional allowance for teachers in the Federal Government Colleges.
NUT President, Comrade Michael Olukoya speaking with newsmen in Abuja, lamented that the Federal Government has refused to pay their teachers the enhanced allowance since it was approved on 6th August, 2008.
He said it was “unfortunate, morally reprehensible and condemnable that the Federal Government continues to deny payment of the professional allowance of 27.5 per cent to Unity Schools teachers”.
Olukoya, therefore, called on the Federal Government to as matter of urgency, pay the said allowance to the Unity School teachers.
The Union also condemned the reported casualisation of teachers in the Federal Government Colleges.
NUT President described the trend as modern day slavery, adding that such individuals could not be motivated to give their best in the system.
While urging the government to absorb the casual teachers into its established employment, Olukoya, said NUT was out to defend the sanctity of Unity schools teachers to decent jobs in decent environment.
He added the NUT will continue to stand up towards ensuring improved condition of service for Nigerian teachers.
Olukoya, noted that the mass failures recorded in the 2014 May/June West African Senior School Certificate Examination was not only astounding but revealed the “nakedness and ineptitude of all stakeholders in education” to addressing the future of Nigeria education system.
He urged both Federal and State governments to begin to pay more attention to quality of teachers engaged for teaching of Mathematics and English Language that have consistently posed great problems to students.
He also canvassed for yearly summit on education to enable stakeholders brainstorm on how to continuous improve on the delivery of education in Nigeria.
