Do not resume when schools reopen – FCT NUT tells teachers
Wants more furniture, decontamination before reopening
The FCT wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has directed primary school teachers in the territory not to resume until the implementation of the minimum wage and payment of arrears are effected.
The Chairman of the FCT NUT, Stephen Knabayi, and acting Secretary, Magrethe F. Jethro, in a communiqué issued at the end of the state wing standing committee meeting in Abuja, said they had exhausted other available means of getting the wages paid to them.
They said it
was unfortunate that they had to resort to this means despite several meetings involving representatives of the education secretariat, Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB), Area Councils Service Commission (ACSC), FCT Joint Account Allocation Committee (FCT JAAC) and the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE).
The communiqué reads in part, “We resolved that except the new wage is immediately implemented and arrears paid to all primary school teachers in the FCT, primary school teachers will not return to school whenever school resumes.”
The union appreciated the effort of the FCT Minister, Muhammad Musa Bello, on the prompt implementation and payment of arrears of the new wage to all FCT workers, including teachers in junior and senior secondary schools.
It further noted that the area councils which responsibility was to pay the new minimum wage to FCT primary schools teachers without further delay had failed to do so.
The union also urged the government to thoroughly decontaminate schools and provide more furniture before reopening schools.
The teachers also called for regular water supply, adequate and functional toilet facilities, sanitary items such as soap, hand sanitisers, as well as other health facilities attached to cluster of schools and recruitment of additional teachers to facilitate physical distancing.
The teachers issued the guidelines to the FCT Administration in a statement yesterday by the acting Secretary of the NUT, Comrade Magrethe F. Jethro.
She added that the education secretariat of the FCTA should also provide non-contact infrared thermometer to schools and also sensitise the teachers.