NUT wants primary education funding under UBEB
The chairman of FCT wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Comrade Stephen Knabayi, has said that the union maintains its stand that the payment of teachers’ salaries and funding of primary education be handled by the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB).
The teachers had carried placards with inscriptions such as ‘No to LG Autonomy with Primary Education’, ‘Pay Teachers’ Salaries Regularly’ and ‘Respect Supreme Court Judgment on Responsibility on Payment of Primary School Teachers’ Salaries’, among others, and marched from Junior Secondary Area 11 to the FCDA main gate.
Addressing newsmen during the peaceful protest in Abuja, yesterday, Knabayi said the union was not against the agitation for local government autonomy as being canvassed by groups in the country, but that managing and funding of primary education should be out of the control of the local governments in the FCT.
He said there were poor services and dilapidated structures across various primary schools and lack of payment of teachers’ salaries, allowances and arrears as well as many strike actions across the country and the FCT.
“And we are of the opinion that this time around, such should not repeat itself. We are also of the opinion that salaries and allowances of teachers should be under the UBEB and we are calling on the FCT minister, Muhammed Musa Bello, to support our position so that other states will learn from FCT,” he said.
Addressing the teachers on behalf of the minister, an acting permanent secretary in the minister’s office, Mr. Atang Samuel, said he was pleased with the way and manner the teachers embarked on their protest without any rancour.
He said the minister would have personally received them but that he was attending the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting. He however assured the teachers that he would channel their issue to the minister.
City News reports that the union had in July this year, led a peaceful protest to the FCT minister’s office where the leaders demanded that funding of primary education and payment of teachers’ salaries should be under the purview of UBEB, following agitations for local autonomy in the country by some groups.