The Nigerian
Union of Teachers (NUT), Delta State Chapter, on Monday defiled the state
government’s directive to return to work, a check has revealed. A visit to five
public schools in Asaba, the state capital on Monday, reports that the schools
were not in session
The teachers
had been on strike since March 9. At the Westend Mixed Secondary School, Asaba,
many of the students were seen in groups at the entrance of the school because
the gate was locked. A student, Miss Chigozirimi Okafor, said that she was in
school because of the government’s directive that public schools should reopen
today, Monday.
“I am surprised that our school’s gate is still under lock-and
key,’’ she said. Okafor appealed to the state government and the leadership of
the state chapter of the NUT to resolve their differences so that public school
pupils could resume their studies. The situation was the same at Uzoigwe
Primary School, Women Affairs Primary School, Government Model Secondary, and
Zappa Mixed Secondary Achool, all in Asaba. The pupils were seen in groups
loitering outside their school gates. Chigozie Nkwa of Uzoigwe Primary School
simply said “there is no school.”
The state government issued a statement on
Sunday that principals, teachers and students should go back to schools on
Monday. The statement added that should the teachers fail to obey the
directive, the state government might apply the principle of: “No work, No
pay”.
The teachers had embarked on strike on March 9 due to non-payment of
salaries since November, 2016. They are also protesting the refusal by the
state government to honour teachers transferred from the teaching service to
ministries by the state government and the non-payment of pensioners’ benefits,
among others. The chairman and the secretary of NUT were not available for
comments as they were said to be meeting with the stakeholders.
Also, several
calls made to the cell phone of the state Commissioner for Basic and Secondary
Education for comments on the development were not returned as at the time of
filling this report.
*vanguardngr*
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