By Sunny Nwankwo, Umuahia

Teachers of government primary and secondary schools in Abia State on Monday defied the state government’s directives for them to report back to duties with their private schools counterparts.

The Abia State Government claimed to have paid a total sum of N1.1bn in salary arrears to the teachers of public schools between December 2020, adding that the state government has initiated steps to clear the outstanding emoluments being owed teachers.

But the teachers contrary to the government’s order, stayed away from work as both primary and secondary school teachers resumed second term academic activities on Monday.

Our correspondent who visited Okigwe road primary school, Aba, Boys Technical College (BTC), Aba, Ibeku High School, Umuahia, Amuzukwu Community Primary School and Amuzukwu Girls Secondary School, Umuahia reports that though pupils and students had reported to school in the morning, they were however reportedly driven out of their respective school premises by officials of NUT who were there to ensure that no academic activity took place in the schools.

A source at Ibeku High School told our correspondent that officials of Secondary Education Management Board came to ensure that no academic activity took place in their school, drove students away from school in the morning.

Mr. Kizito Kalu, the state chairman Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), couldn’t be reached, but a source at the State Secretariat of the Teachers Union who disclosed that officials of the Union from their national secretariat were expected in the state today.

According to the source who disclosed that the teachers stayed away from classrooms because they were being owed arrears of salaries, said that the representatives of national leadership were expected to have discussions with the State government with the desire to bring an end to the lingering crisis surrounding non-payment of salary arrears of teachers. (THE NATION)