Osun Teachers Join Other States To Protest Over Autonomy.

The teachers in large numbers, staged a protest in Osogbo to register their grievances over the proposed local government autonomy without a special commission for the funding and management of primary education in the country.

Speaking with Newsmen, the Chairman, Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT Osun State Wing, Comrade Wakeel Amuda said if the first line charge policy could be re enacted, the teachers would have no cause to worry over the local government autonomy and retention or non retention of State Joint Local Government Account.

Amuda, noted that teachers were skeptical of local  government autonomy due to awful experience of teachers between 1990 to 1994 when primary education was left in the hands of local government councils.

The Osun NUT Boss, hinted that primary education suffered within the period since payment of primary school teachers salaries and allowances as well as retirement benefit to retires was not in the priority list of politicians in the local government councils.

Amuda, posited that it has became imperative for the union to sensitize stakeholders and general public on the danger inherent in handling over primary education to local government councils in Nigeria.

He said primary education as tool for growth and advancement hence the need for federal government to give priority to the sector and safeguard primary education from imminent collapse.

Amuda, said teachers in primary and secondary schools in Nigeria also deserved increment in their retirement age from sixty to sixty five to retain experienced teachers in schools so as to impart appropriate skills and knowledge to learners at the foundation level.

In a remark, the former Chairman of NUT in the State, Alhaji Saka Adesiyan noted that the Union would continue to promote welfare of its members as well as creating enabling environment for them to discharge their duties effectively.

Adesiyan, submitted that the union would sustain its campaign against any policy or programmes that could subject its members to untold hardship.

In his own submission during the protest, the NUT Secretary in the state, Comrade Abdullahi Nma Mohammed, informed that all their requests have been forwarded to the appropriate quarters while waiting for the positive response from the government.

Mohammed, emphasised further that, “this is the adequate time for the entire teachers to agitate for their right by correcting the wrong”.

Reported by Richard Akintade, Osogbo