Cross River Assembly passed 8 bills in 2013 Kogi teachers protest non-payment of salaries

In the 2013 legislative year, the Cross River State House of Assembly passed eight bills into law, the Speaker, Mr Larry Odey, has said.

He said the bills include; the Cross River 2014 appropriation bill of N176.3billion, a bill to establish a multi-door court in the state among others.

Odey said in 2013, the Assembly did not record any major crisis, rather “it consolidated on the peace in the state”.

“As lawmakers, we moved motions, resolutions, and sponsored bills that will address critical areas of human attention,’’ he said.

He said the security network and peaceful nature of the state was due to the collective efforts of all arms of government.

“We also addressed communal clashes in parts of the state as well as addressed, flooding, disaster, inter and intra state crises. We are also working in synergy with the judiciary and the executive to promote the unity, economic and political growth of the state,” he added. Primary school teachers in Kogi State yesterday protested non-payment of February and March salaries as well as leave allowances in the past three years.

The teachers, under the Basic Education Staff Association of Nigeria (BESAN), held the protest at the gate of the State Universal Basic Education Board.

Addressing journalists, the state chairman of BESAN, Adamu Sule, said the teachers got their last promotion in 2009, and that it was without financial backing. He lamented that since 2011, they have been undergoing screening on a yearly bases without anything to show for it.

“There was an agreement between teachers and SUBEB last year December that the minimum wage which was being implemented at 60 per cent would be implemented fully by March this year, but we are yet to even receive February and March salaries,” he said.

The chairman said the protest was to let the governor and people know that basic education is being neglected in the state and that teachers are suffering.

Responding, the Permanent Member 11, James Momoh, who addressed the teachers on behalf of SUBEB chairman, Jibrin Usman, pleaded with them to exercise patience, saying that they would be paid by next week.