New teachers’ salary structure imminent – NUT

NIGERIA Union of Teachers ( NUT ) has held its 8th Quadrennial State Conference of Delegates where pressing issues concerning welfare of teachers were brought to the fore and deliberated upon.
Prominent amongst issues discussed were teachers’ new salary structure , retirement age and benefits, as well as promotions together with accruing benefits.
The event, which was held at the Teachers’ House Awka , had delegates across the country in attendance; where the national president of the union, Comrade Dr. Nasiru Idris gave an update on the progress made in the quest for a new salary structure for teachers.
Represented by the first vice president of the union, Comrade Kayode Akoshilebi, the national president of the NUT stressed that they were more concerned about teachers’ welfare and career policy progression in the country.
Though he said it might take a little longer for the new career policies concerning teachers to be achieved in the country but emphasised that the national leadership of the union was not relenting in its efforts to get the federal government to ameliorate the plights of teachers nationwide.
The NUT National President further disclosed that they were working on a consolidated salary structure for teachers which he said that NUT, in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Education and the Salaries and Wages Commission would ratify in no distant time.
Shortage of teachers across the country was another burning issue the national president pointed out . He said teachers were retiring from the class room and government was not forthcoming with recruitment processes to replace those who had retired from the service.
According to him, most teachers who retired from government-owned schools were being exploited by private school operators where they eventually ended up due to lack of retirement benefits. As a result, he said NUT had decided to perch retirement age for teachers at 65 years, adding that the National Assembly has passed it into law and it is currently awaiting presidential assent.
The state chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress and state president, Nigeria Union of Local Government Workers Anambra State Chapter, Comrade Jerry Nnubia,  urged the incoming leadership of the NUT to also function alongside the NLC for better and more robust collaborations in the quest for improved working conditions for the state work force.
The outgoing state chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Anambra State Wing, Comrade Ifeanyi Ofordile, noted that the union’s agitations have been for government to pay teachers what he mentioned as teachers’ salary grade but instead , he said government had continued to offer palliatives in the form of teachers’ enhanced allowance . He said teachers were not there yet but emphasised the need for government to help teachers attain their rightful status salary wise.
Meanwhile Governor Willie Obiano, through the Commissioner for Basic Education, Prof. Kate Azuka Omenugha, said his administration placed very high premium in the development of the professional capacities of teachers in Anambra State.
The Director of Schools Department in the Ministry of Basic Education, Dr. Raymond Offor, who represented the commissioner, said teachers were currently undergoing Information and Communication Technology training across the state to equip them for more efficient service delivery.
On the issue of teachers’ recruitment, he said the state governor recently approved another batch of recruitment to replace retiring ones.