War without end
•Teachers, govt adamant over strike
By NJOKU ONYEKACH JET
Saturday, July 26, 2008

•Aja-Nwachukwu, Education Minister •PHOTO: The Sun Publishing Ltd

For four weeks now, pupils and students of public primary and secondary schools across the nation have been on forced holidays following the lingering teachers’ strike over the non-implementation of the Teachers’ Salary Structure (TSS).
Already, the lingering strike is taking a heavy toll on parents, pupils and the education system in the country.

All over the country, public schools remain shut, even as the pupils and students roam the streets or engage in other activities to kill boredom. During school hours, some pupils are seen in their various schools or other locations, enjoying the round leather game, while scores of others from very poor homes have multiplied the ranks of hawkers and petty traders in cities and towns across the nation.

For candidates writing the suspended Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination conducted by the National Examinations Council (NECO), the strike is a big set back. Moreover, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has also postponed the marking of its recently concluded school certificate examinations scripts following a directive by the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) to its teachers not to take part in the marking, thus dashing the hopes of thousands of its candidates, who had hoped to use the results for admission into tertiary institutions.

By now, the pupils and students would have been writing their promotional examinations in their various schools and getting set for end of session activities. But the strike has stalled all that, leaving them bored, sad and disappointed.

At the moment, anxious parents are awaiting pronouncements from either the government or the union on an end to the strike.

The industrial action commenced with a three-day warning strike between June 11 and June 13 to press home their demands for a new salary structure.

In obedience to the strike, all public schools across the nation were shut, just as it disrupted the on-going senior secondary school certificate examinations conducted by NECO, which was postponed indefinitely. The strike, which the union described as successful, totally paralysed academic activities in public schools, yet the Federal Government did not accede to their demands. But the teachers were bent on receiving their rewards on earth accusing government of being insensitive to their plight. Miffed by the government’s action, the teachers vowed to embark on an indefinite strike to get government to better their lot.

The government agreed to pay the new salary scale to only teachers in Federal Government owned schools but the union insisted that it must issue an enabling circular on the new salary structure so that the states can negotiate with their teachers.

After failed talks with the Federal Government on the contentious issue, the union directed its members to down tools indefinitely on June 30.

The Deputy National President of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), while addressing newsmen in Abuja on the issue said; “with effect from 12 midnight on Sunday June 29, principals, head teachers and teachers of primary, secondary, technical, unity and special schools would withdraw their services. There would be no teaching, invigilation or marking of internal or external examinations and no state of the federation is exempted from the union’s directive.”

“It is regrettable that for the past 15 years, teachers in Nigeria have remained forgotten and reduced to obsolescent professionals. The industrial action is meant to press home the demands of the teachers as no educational system can rise above the quality and state of its teachers.”
He explained that the demand for the teachers’ salary structure dates back to 1992 and culminated in a general strike in the same year.

The Secretary of the Lagos State chapter of the NUT, Comrade Jamiu Idris said the union is specifically asking for an enabling circular approving the implementation of the Teachers’ Salary Scale from the Federal Government to the states so that the states can negotiate with the teachers.
In a bid to force private schools to join the strike in solidarity with the striking teachers, the union in all the 36 states of the federation set up a committee to picket private schools, a move that the Federal Government warned against.

The chairman of the Lagos Chapter of the NUT, Mr. Michael Olukoya said the teachers would not down tools until government honoured the agreement, which it reached with the union in 1992.
Criticisms have continued to trail the government’s handling of the strike. The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in a statement signed by its National President Comrade Ebiloma Abdullahi condemned government seeming insensitivity to the plight of teachers.

Also, a presidential candidate in the April 2007 elections, Professor Pat Utomi, in a statement castigated the Federal Government for allowing the strike to linger.

To bring an end to the crisis, the House of Representatives waded into the matter, urging the Federal Government to accede to teachers’ demand immediately. The House asked the striking teachers to go back to work while efforts were being made to resolve the crisis.
But the union, at a press conference after the debate on the floor of the House of Representatives, said the strike would continue until their demands were met.

Some other unions have thrown their weight behind the NUT in their clamour for a new Salary Structure.
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), while expressing worry at the lingering strike in a statement signed by its president, Mr. Promise Adewusi said, “it becomes more disheartening when the issue that has degenerated to this strike has been lingering for about 10 years now. This is a long period for a government that is sensitive and responsive to the welfare of its workers to have resolved. It is unfortunate and indeed regrettable that the government continues to display a lackadaisical attitude towards the strike action thereby jeopardizing the future of our children in public schools.

“If this strike is allowed to continue owing to government’s lukewarm attitude, it will seriously question our sincerity towards attaining the vision 20-20 Agenda. We, therefore, call on all well meaning Nigerians to prevail on the Federal Government to immediately issue the necessary implementation circular of the improved teachers pay as it, at least affects the federal teachers.”
Last Tuesday in Lagos, the Oba of Lagos, Babatunde Akiolu, urged the teachers, who paid him a courtesy visit at the Idungaran Palace, to call off the indefinite strike.

The Oba, who said the teachers were fighting a just cause in a wrong way said: “I beg you in the name of God and royalty to call off the strike before knowing what to tell the government. I am 100 per-cent in support of what you are doing because you are clamouring for your legitimate right, but considering the havoc you have done to our children who are supposed to be having their promotional examination, it is unfair.”

It is four weeks now and Nigerians are wondering when the crisis will be resolved so that teachers can return to the classrooms.

A parent, Mrs. Bimbo Adeyinka, said the strike portends grave danger. According to her, if the strike continues, some children, in a bid to ward off boredom may begin to engage in vices.
Speaking in the same vein, Mr. Okon Daniel, a retired school principal, urged the teachers to have mercy on their pupils and return to work.

The crux of the matter, over teachers’ strike is that the NUT is asking for N50, 000 as entry point salary for teachers. At present, a fresh NCE graduate is placed on Step 1 and earns between N16, 000 and N21, 000, depending on the state.

However, in Lagos State, teachers on Grade Level 14 earn as much between N63, 000, while Level 15 teachers earn N92, 000. In the state, a fresh NCE graduate earns N21, 000.
The National President of NUT, Onem Neson Onemu, said that the TSS has passed through due process, having gone the Joint Consultative Council of Education (JCCE), the National Council on Education (NCE) and the Salaries and Wages Commission.

He said that the approval for the implementation of TSS had been given and provision made in this year’s budget. He said the union wants the Federal Government to issue a circular for the implementation of the TSS to enable states negotiate for their teachers.