Teachers Commence Indefinite Strike in Cross River

By Bassey Inyang in Calabar

Teachers in public primary schools, and public secondary schools in Cross River State have announced that they would commence an indefinite strike Thursday, owing to what they hinged on alleged insensitivity of the state government to their demands.

A statement signed by the state Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Comrade Eyo-Nsa Itam, said that they came to the decision after an “exhaustive deliberation on the insensitivity of the Government of Cross River State, and the un-fatherly attitude of the Government towards the welfare of teachers in Cross River State and having no regards that the teachers and the union had been supportive of the Prof Ben Ayade led government from inception.”

In the statement also signed by the union’s Secretary , Dr. R. Anyadike, and State Publicity Secretary, Comrade Etim Etim, they x-rayed several disappointments from the government, in addition to the humiliation teachers suffered even when they showed maturity, respect and cooperation with the government in several ways.

“Government’s inaction over her promises of 3rd November, 2016 and agreement it freely entered with the NUT on 15th February, 2018 clearly shows that the Cross River State Government have abandoned the teachers of tne state to their fate.

“The union having been disappointment at all levels of these injustices and ill treatment hereby resolves as follows.

“That the government of Cross River State has up to Wednesday 27, June 2018 to meet all the demands. That is after Wednesday 27thJune, 2018 all the demands are not met, then teachers in public schools in Cross River State should sit at home until government implements all it had promised and agreed with the NUT. That teachers can only resume if all these demands are met,” the statement read in part.

The teachers listed their demands to include the payment of arrears of salaries owed some primary school teachers erroneously dropped from the payroll since 2016; release of promotion letters to primary school teachers as is done to other workers in the state; complete implementation of promotion to all secondary school teachers; and the implementation of annual salary incremental steps to primary school teachers from January, 2016.

Others include the payment of salaries to the four reinstated secondary school teachers already approved by Governor Ben Ayade; correction of discrepancies in the payment of salaries of primary school teachers; remittance of NUT check off dues for the months of April and May 2017 (secondary); payment of imprest to heads of public primary schools in the state; release of monthly pay advice to public primary school teachers; and remittance of teachers’ motorcycle loan deduction to the supplier.

“They still went on to demand the remittance of deductions to banks, AMACOM, Credit Direct, 1st Credit etc by the Cross River State government thus eliminating double deductions from salaries of teachers; reinstatement of teaching allowances for our teachers who were pulled out from schools to boards and agencies to carry out education quality assurance and control schedules; and the balance of teachers’ enhancement allowance of 11.28 per cent.

“Consequently all members of the state wing executive council of the NUT in the state unanimously agreed that all teachers should stay at home from Thursday 28 June 2018 if all demands are not met on or before Wednesday 27 June, 2018,” the teachers said.