13 states still owe teachers salary arrears – NUT

-13 states in Nigeria still owe teachers in their states salary arrears.

-The Nigeria Union of Teachers has urged defaulting states to effect payment as soon as possible.

The Nigeria Union of Teachers, on Tuesday disclosed 13 State governments were still owing primary and secondary school teachers in their states various months of salary arrears despite bail out funds from the federal government.

Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja, the Acting Secretary-General of the union, Dr Mike Ike-Ene, said that previously, 19 States owed, but some states have paid except 13.

According to him, the states owing are Ogun, Imo, Oyo, Abia, Kogi, Benue, Zamfara, Taraba, Plateau, Osun, Benue and Bayelsa states, among others.

He added that Benue owes heavily as it was the worst.

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Ike-Ene, explained that the union expected the affected states to pay up before resumption from the long vacation, but only few states complied.

He, therefore, lauded those states that ensured that the welfare of the teachers were paramount and also encouraged others to do same.

“It may interest you to know that few weeks back at Ibadan, we re-appraised the way our teachers are being owed; about 19 states visibly owed our teachers various forms of money.

“Ranging from salaries to gratuity for many months; some two months to one year and about 28 states are paying salaries in percentages.

“We requested government to use the window of the long vacation to pay these teachers.

“But it might surprise you to know that states like Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, Kano and Rivers collected N10 billion Paris Club fund each including others.

“Yet some of the states could not use this money to offset the teachers’ outstanding salary arrears,’’ he said.

Ike-Ene commended the teachers for their perseverance urging them to continue to do their best.

“I just want to use this medium to thank all our teachers in primary and secondary schools throughout the period and further encourage them to do continue to do their best .’’

He also appealed to the government to pay the outstanding salary arrears, saying that if every effort to settle peacefully fails the union would have no option than embark on industrial action.

NAN

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