LG autonomy: Plateau, Taraba, Katsina teachers protest Insist councils can’t pay salaries

In view the renewed agitation for local government autonomy across the country, teachers from the 17 local government areas of Plateau State have protested against their inclusion, saying that the local government cannot cater for their emoluments and welfare. of

Fear of failure by councils to pay salary of teachers was similarly expressed in Taraba and Katsina states where the teachers held similar demonstrations yesterday.

The teachers in Plateau who staged the protest march in Jos, the state capital, went to the House of Assembly, the Palace of Gbong Gwom Jos and the Government House to present their protest letter.

At the protest march, the Chairman of the Plateau State Wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Comrade Gana Seri Ayuba, said if autonomy for local government was granted, the management and funding of primary schools and the payment of teachers’ salaries should be taken over by the state government.

Addressing the teachers at the gate of the Government House, Governor Simon Lalong, represented by the state deputy governor Prof. Sunny Tyoden, said the state government understood the concern of the teachers and would take their demand into consideration.

In Taraba, the state chairman of the NUT, Comrade Peter Julius presented a letter to the speaker of the House of Assembly, Mr Abel Peter rejecting the proposed autonomy.

The chairman told the speaker that the position of the union was that management, funding and payment of primary school teachers should remain with the state government.

He stated that if it was not going to be possible for states to pay teachers , the salaries of primary school teachers should be draw through first line charge from the federation account.

Responding, the speaker of the Taraba State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Abel Peter Diah said, “We will ensure that teachers’ salaries are kept in a safe place.”

In Katsina, primary school teachers took to the street to raise concern over their welfare should the planned local government autonomy moves scale through.

The teachers carried placards reading, ‘Save primary education from imminent collapse,’ ‘Respect the Supreme Court judgement on the responsibility of payment of primary school teachers salaries,’ among others.

Speaking when the protesters marched to the state House of Assembly, the state chairman of NUT, Comrade Suwidi Hassan Dayi, said the teachers did not mind the drive for autonomy at the local government level but their concern was the ability of those councils to pay the salaries.

According to him, it had happened in the past when teachers were owed years of salaries as councils could not meet the constitutional provision. Once beaten, twice shy, he said.

Responding, the speaker, Katsina State House of Assembly, Abubakar Kusada said should the autonomy status scale through, the assembly would ensure that teachers’ salary payment was not affected.