The Nigeria Union of Teachers, Akwa Ibom State Chapter have commenced an indefinite strike over the state government’s alleged refusal to meet their demands.
This was contained in a press statement signed by the Senior State Secretary of the Nigerian Union of Teachers, Akwa Ibom State, Victor Amirize on Tuesday.
The strike follows the failure of the teachers to reach an understanding with the state government on its demands including the reopening of the teachers’ Amnesty program.
The statement said, “The NUT hereby orders all primary and secondary schools in public school to proceed on an indefinite strike action from midnight of Tuesday 15th 2022.”
Listing its demands, the NUT said, “Akwa Ibom State Government teachers’ amnesty programme should be reopened to cover the teachers that were cut off during the last amnesty programme.
“Refund of 7% contributory pension to primary school teachers. Payment of gratuity/harmonisation of pension to retired teachers.”
The teachers also demanded the payment of 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 leave grants to primary school teachers.
Other demands include the payment of promotion arrears from 2011 to 2016; the release of the 2017 and 2018 promotion exercise conducted by SUBEB as well as immediate commencement of the 2019, 2020, 2021 promotion exercise.
“Appointment of teachers as Permanent Secretaries as well as promotion results of teachers who attended the exercise as in 2020 to be released without recourse to a pass in the Administrative Professional Officers Compulsory Examination because this was not demanded at the point of the interview,” the statement added.
The union appealed to both parents and pupils for understanding as “the government’s insensitivity to the teachers’ plight has pushed us to this level.”
