The Nigeria Union of Teachers, Akwa Ibom State Wing has ordered teachers in public primary and secondary schools in the state to proceed on an indefinite strike action.
A press release dated March 13, 2022 and signed by NUT Senior State Secretary in the state , Comrade Victor O. Amirize, directed the teachers to go on strike with effect from midnight Tuesday, March 15, 2022.
A copy of the letter made available to Straightnews shows that the union has made a nine-point demand.
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The union said the action was taken after negotiations and amicable resolutions with the state government had failed.
According to the union, the state government could not address the demands of the teachers in 21 working days and seven days ultimatum.
”The government promise of one year leave grant on compassionate ground and completion of payment of one month minimum wage arrears to the primary schools could not be actualised,’’ it lamented.
Among the demands by the bunion include refund of 71/2 contributory pension scheme to primary school teachers, payment of gratuity/harmonization pension to teachers, payment of 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2019, 2020 and 2021leave grants to primary school teachers, payment of promotion of six years- 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016 to primary school teachers, and release of 2017 and 2018 promotion exercise conducted by SUBEB.
Others are immediate commencement of 2019, 2020 and 2021 promotion interview, appointment of teachers as Permanent Secretaries, Akwa Ibom State government amnesty programme should be reopened to cover teachers who cut off during the last amnesty programme, and promotion of teachers who attended the 2020 promotion interview without recourse to a pass of Administrative Professional Officers Compulsory Examination as this was not demanded at the point of the interview.
As at the time of filing this report, Straightnews could not get response from the text message sent to state Commissioner for Education, Mrs Idongesit Etiebet on if the union through the ministry had delivered the letter to the state government.
To further confirm the story, Straightnews called on the state NUT Chairman, Comrade Edet Emenyi, but his telephone was switched off.
