The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) Akwa Ibom State wing has declared an indefinite strike following the failure of the government to meet many of their demands.

The strike took effect from midnight of Tuesday, March 15.

In a statement signed by the Senior State Secretary of the union, Comrade Victor O. Amirize, the NUT, therefore, ordered all primary and secondary school teachers in public schools to embark on the industrial action.

According to the Amirize, the resolution was taken after all avenues for negotiation and amicable resolutions failed on the part of the state government.

He added that the government could not address the demands of the teachers after 21 working days and the subsequent seven-day ultimatum given by the union to government.

The union further stated that the government’s promise to pay one-year leave grant on compassionate grounds and make complete payment of one-month minimum wage arrears to primary school teachers was also not be actualised.

Their demands include the refund of seven and a half per cent contributory pension to primary school teachers, payment of gratuity/harmonisation of pension to retired teachers, payment of 2013 to 2021 leave grant to primary school teachers, payment of promotion arrears for six years, 2011 to 2016 to primary school teachers, the release of results of the 2017, 2018 promotion exercise conducted by SUBEB, immediate commencement of 2019, 2020, 2021 promotion exercise and appointment of teachers as permanent secretaries.

In addition, they are requesting that the Akwa Ibom State government Teachers Amnesty programme should be re-opened to cover the teachers that were cut off during the last amnesty programme, the promotion result of teachers who attended the last promotion exercise in 2020 should be released without recourse to pass in the administrative professional officer compulsory examination (APOCE) as this was not a requirement at the point of the interview.

The union, however, appealed to both parents, pupils, students and the general public for understanding, stating that the government’s insensitivity to the teachers’ plight has pushed them to this point. (Channels TV)

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