BIYI SAMUEL/Akure
government in the country to be autonomous ,the Nigerian
Union of Teachers (NUT) ,Ondo State wing on Friday kicked
against it,saying it would affect the welfare of the
Teachers.
The Teachers in their numbers across the state
marched from their Secretariat at Oda-road down to the
Governor’s office at Alagbaka in Akure.
While Speaking, the State Secretary of the NUT in
Ondo State ,Comrade Daisi Igbelowowa said the teachers
embarked on the peaceful rally to registered their stand
against local government autonomy.
Comrade Igbelowowa said if local government in
the country are autonomous,the payment of primary school
teachers would not be their top priority.
In his words: ” We are not protesting but we
are having a peaceful rally to drop a message for the
Governor from our national office on a national issue that
is important to every Nigerian not only the teachers and we
believe this an issue that requires the concerted efforts of
everybody that this catastrophe that is about to fall on the
Education sector, at the basic level, which is primary
education level.” The NUT is saying No to
local government autonomy. We are saying there should be no
local government autonomy.”
The NUT secretary said practising of true
federalism does not require third of tier government as
being witnessed in Nigeria today,saying the local government
should be under the state.
Igbelowowa ,however said the teachers have gave
room for options if the government is adamant in granting
the local government autonomy.
He said: ” If the power that be insists on
local government autonomy ,we have the options that the
payment of primary school teachers should be
transferred from the local government to the state
government because these local government officials we never
pay our salary. If they are granting the autonomy,our
salaries should be transferred to the state
government.””If the first one is not
practicable by them, the payment and management of primary
school teachers should be channelled and pay to Universal
Basic Education Commission(UBEC) and onward
transmission to State Universal Basic Education
Commission(SUBEC) and they will be paying our salaries
without any problem.”
Akeredolu, however disagreed with the teachers on
the need for transferring of their payment to the federal
level ,saying it would amount to giving more power to the
federal government.
“I will totally disagree with you on that
point because the moment will talk about federal government,
we have been saying they are too powerful. They are not
devolving enough power to the state.”If we
are now also saying to them pay our salaries,we are
giving them more powers and I want to beg of you to think
about this again .They must give more power to the state
government,they are not the one employing you as
teachers.”
He assured the teachers that their message would be passed
across to the National assembly for proper
deliberation.
