Peeved by the alleged failure of Edo State government to meet the financial obligation and other entitlements of teachers, the Edo State Chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), on Tuesday issued a fresh 14-day strike notice to the state government.

The union had on December 8, 2020, gave the state government a 21-day ultimatum to redeem all its pledges or embark on an indefinite industrial action.

In a letter titled “Re: Communique” and dated, December 16, 2020, and signed by the acting secretary of Edo State council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Barry Osaro Imade threw its weight behind the impending strike by the primary school teachers.

A strike notice dated December 29, 2020, jointly signed by the chairman, Mr Pius Okhueleigbe, the Assistant General Secretary, Mr Moni Mike Modesty and four others, the union noted that the 14-day strike notice which takes effect from Tuesday, 29 December 2020 is to enable the government meets its demands to the union.

The unionists observed that the government has not taken any tangible step aimed at meeting the demands of the union during the 21-day ultimatum.

They insisted that academic activities will be disrupted in the New Year if there’s no urgent surgical examination of Edo Best Programme to determine the true state of affairs so that the government will be able to correct its “seeming window-dressing” and improve on the fortunes of the programme.

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

“It, however, observed that if primary school teachers are to enrol, the tier of government that will be responsible for the monthly remittance of 10 per cent 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.

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

Update news