By; BALA B. BITRUS, Minna.
The leadership of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, (NUT) in Niger State has lamented that the wobbling financial inclemency brought about by the economic recession in the country has impacted negatively on the country’s education sector.
Chairman of the state wing of the NUT, Comrade Ibrahim Umar said the situation has not only impacted on members of the union but it has adversely affected the smooth running and functioning of the school system in the country.
Speaking at the occasion marking the 2016 World Teachers’ Day in Minna, Comrade Umar said the present economic situation in the country has also brought about recession in the morale, commitment and spirit of school teachers and consequently brought the education sector to its knees.
”The recession that has set in has negatively affected the smooth running of school system and the entire education sector is now on the verge of total collapse” he said.
The NUT state Chairman said worst affected by the economic downturn across the country are school teachers who have had to contend with poor remunerations, decrepit working environment, zero incentives and disrespect.
“Teachers at both Primary and Post Primary schools across the state are owed salaries running into months and in some cases they are paid haphazardly and in piecemeal percentage”.
“The implications of this inconsistency and irregular payment of salaries is the declining morale and productivity of the teacher with its multiplier consequences on the education system”.
He queried, “if teachers are not paid, how will they feed or pay for their bills, meet up with other expenditures of daily life”?
He warned that the abnormality in meeting the rights of the teacher was a huge minus to achieving government’s desired change in transforming the country’s educational system.
The NUT Chairman cautioned that it was unfair and unjust to deny teachers their entitlements. He said the ugly development have made many teachers to become beggars while others have devised ways to survive.
He called on the state government to address all the problems besetting teachers particularly by ensuring regular payment of salaries and allowances to school teachers in public sector.
Comrade Umar also suggested the introduction of hazard allowances to teachers to motivate teachers working in the rural areas of the state.
Representative of the state government and Head of Service, Alhaji Sule Yabagi acknowledged that the morale of teachers in the state had dropped considerably but assured that the administration will do everything within its limited resources to improve on teachers’ condition of service and the entire education sector.
