By Lucky Isibor
The Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, Edo State chapter, has appealed to the Edo State House of Assembly to reject the bill that tends to transfer the payment of primary school teachers’ salaries to local councils, as it deliberates on the bill on local government autonomy.
The NUT, made the appeal while on a protest march to the Edo State House of Assembly in Benin City, on Wednesday November 22, 2017.
The teachers who were mainly state and local government executives of the union from the eighteen local government areas of the state assembled at the Oba Ovoramwen Square, Benin City and went on a protest march to the State Assembly Complex.
The protesters carried placards with inscriptions such as “Save primary education from imminent collapse”, “Funding of primary education is the joint responsibility of state and federal government”, “We are not against local government autonomy” and “Primary education is the bedrock for every educational development”.
The chairman, Edo State chapter, Nigeria Union of Teachers, Mr. Iyalomhe Akhagbeme while speaking on behalf of the protesters said, transferring the payment of teachers’ salaries from state to local government would jeopardize smooth payment of teachers’ salaries.
He said that teachers were not opposed to autonomy for local council, but stressed that the funding of education should remain the primary responsibility of both state and federal government.
Receiving the protesters on behalf of the leadership of the Edo State House of Assembly, the Public Relations Office of the Assembly, Mr. Dayo Erimiakhena told the protesters that none of the lawmakers was around to receive them as the house had adjourned sitting a day before their visit.
The Public Relations Officer stated that the teachers’ message was clearly understood and promised to convey it to the leadership of the house.
