NUT urges ex-heads of state to intervene in lingering ASUU strike

The Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) on Saturday urged the country’s former heads of states to mediate in the protracted ASUU strike.
Mr Michael Olukoya, the National President of the NUT, made the call in Abuja during the celebration of the 2013 World Teachers’ Day.
He stressed that the lack of intervention by well-meaning Nigerians had made the industrial action to linger on.
“Let us rebuild confidence into the negotiations by bringing powerful mediators or negotiators that enjoy the mutual confidence of the parties into the dispute.
“Any mediation by any of the former presidents and heads of states such as Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, Gen. Abubakar Abdulsalami or Chief Earnest Shonekan would break this logjam,” he said.
Olukoya, however, appealed to the striking university lecturers to be sensitive to the constraints and efforts of the Federal Government.
The NUT boss, nonetheless, urged the Federal Government to do everything within its powers to end the protracted crisis.
Besides, Olukoya said that the World Teachers’ Day celebration was another occasion to call on the National Assembly and the Federal Government to give primary education “a pride of place in our national life’’.
He rejected plans to cede the management of primary education to local government councils, saying that such proposals portended a great danger to the development of the sector.
He stressed that that local governments lacked the wherewithal, probity, and discipline to manage primary education.
Olukoya commended the Federal Government for shelving its earlier idea to divest its ownership of Federal Government Colleges under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement.
He, however, urged the Federal Government to initiate pragmatic efforts to restore the past glory of unity colleges and other secondary schools across the country.
He decried the lowering of JAMB cut-off marks for admission into teacher training institutions, adding that the entry qualifications should be higher or at least be at par with those of other professional courses.
“This is the only way to ensure high quality of teaching personnel in our schools,’’ he said.
Also speaking, Chief Nyesom Wike, the supervising Minister of Education, said that the promotion of the country’s economic growth and development rested squarely on the development and empowerment of quality teachers.
He urged teachers to avail themselves of the various career-development opportunities and welfare schemes provided by government, aimed at improving their commitment and competence. (NAN)

Source: DailyPost NG

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NUT gives FG and ASUU 14-day Ultimatum to end the lingering strike

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) on Thursday gave a two-week ultimatum to the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, to resolve the strike embarked upon by university lecturers since 1 July.
The NUT President, Mr Michael Olukoya, gave the ultimatum in Abuja at the end of the union’s meeting with teachers’ representatives across the country.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that ASUU, had on July 1, embarked on a strike it described as “comprehensive, total and indefinite”.
The lecturers are protesting the non-implementation of some issues, contained in an agreement the union had entered into with the Federal Government since 2009.
Olukoya said that members of the union would not hesitate to close down the nation’s schools, if the two parties failed to reach agreement after two weeks.
He described the current ASUU strike “as nationalistic, patriotic and self-sacrificing.
“We will not hesitate to shut down the education system in the country, if the government fails to fulfil or honour the agreement it entered into with the lecturers.”
The NUT president said that Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo’s call for a complete over-haul of teachers’ qualification as unacceptable to the NUT.
He said that the blame should be put on the doorsteps of the employers and not teachers.
“NUT will forever be proud of all its teachers, believing that all employment agencies are corruption-free, disciplined and quality conscious in their employment drives.”
Olukoya also urged the governors of Kogi, Benue and Cross River to honour the agreement they made with teachers on the payment of 27.5 per cent teachers salary structure.
Source: Vanguard

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NLC gives Ogun State govt. 7 days ultimatum to meet teacher's demands

The Ogun State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress has given the state government a seven-day ultimatum failing which to address the demands of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, will have the group to contend with. Speaking during a protest organized by teachers in the state, weekend, Chairman of the NLC, Akeem Ambali disclosed that, the NLC in the state was ready to act as an intermediary between the government and the Nigeria Union of Teachers. The state chapter of the NUT has joined eight other states in the ongoing indefinite strike to press for the implementation of the 27.5% Teachers’ Peculiar Allowance, TPA, vowing not to call its members to return to classrooms unless all its demands were met. Addressing the members of the NUT in the state during the rally, Ambali said, “we want to appeal to the government, we want to negotiate with the government for the next seven days, I know something positive will come out. But if that fails,we will not hesitate to continuously offer a purposeful leadership to the Nigeria Union of Teachers. “Teachers are not well fed. Our meagre allowance cannot take us home. We are open to negotiation, we don’t have closed minds. The government must be able to come up to know the recognized and legalized union of teachers. “Negotiation must be well documented. We are not sycophants; we are not being sponsored by government. “What are we fighting for? What is our government doing as regards democratic dividend? “The government has been seized by sycophants,that is the truth. “Governor Amosun is from us; he is one of us, no matter what happened in Oke-Mosan, he got to that through Labour. These were all the words of the chairman.

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