Barely one and half year this month, precisely towards the end of 2011 through early 2012, when the primary school teachers in Kogi state embarked on industrial action that lasted for a whole term. Pupils were recklessly abandoned to their fate, a situation which most private school operators cashed on to boost pupils’ enrollment in their schools.
The teachers were piqued by factors ranging from accumulated arrears of salary, bonuses and allowances; non execution of relativity as well as many other odds which tend to bring the reputation and prestige of the teachers down.
These problems and many more grievances have resulted in a prolong strike action which set the teachers against the government, leading to a near-collapse of primary education system in the state last year.
That last year, not few teachers are pointing accusing fingers at Education Secretaries [ES] of the 21 local government areas who are believed to be collaborating with the Nigerian Union of Teachers [NUT] and their State Universal Basic Education Board [SUBEB] counter-part to defraud them.
This time, the story is not far from the original. Last week the primary school teachers once again embarked on strike for the alleged non payment of 27.5% speed allowances, minimum wage and 2011, 2012 and 2013 leave grants, which according to Comrade Sani Moh’d Amin, the Chairman of NUT Kogi wing, has being paid to their secondary school counter-part in the state. He however, said amongst 11 states that have not implemented their minimum wage structure, Kogi state is included.
Another NUT official told me that increment of salary should be in line with steps of the teachers, but are not done in Kogi; affirms that promotions are not even backed financially.
In another development, a grade 9 step 6 primary school teacher, who was due to received June 2012 salary, however complained she has not been paid. According to her, they were many having this problem; and every effort at nailing it finally proved unsuccessful; alleged that accountant general have always found one reason or the other to laid them off whenever they were there to complained.
An impeccable source from the secondary school conferred on me that though they have been receiving minimum wage and have received 2011 leave grant, but the 2012 and 2013 leave grants has not been paid by the state government.
Meanwhile, emerging facts revealed that the state government action was deduced on the basis of the incessant rise in the payrolls of the primary school teachers; however suspected there must be ghost workers.
This suspicion was confirmed last year to be the reason whiles the local government staffers and the said primary school teachers to have undergone series of screening exercise to confirm the authenticity of their employment. While each time the screening is been conducted; there have never been any ‘scape goat’.
That, many observers believed that such exercise is usually been out-smarted; however reasoned that such alibi is bereft of smallest element of truth between those Ogas in the offices and the officials of the screening committees. That, as a matter of fact, the exercise does not purport a true meaning for it creation, rather creates more problems.
A Principal in one of the Universal Basic Education [UBE] in the state, who craved anonymity, said most of the problems are caused by NUT executives and the Education Secretaries. According to him, when they supposed to have fought for the rights of the teachers they were busy receiving brown envelops, which have in turn make them a-toothless bull dog and a-puppet always at the foots of government. He continued; the issue of ghost workers is on the increase, which was believed masterminded by [ES] in collaboration with the NUT.
A retired Secondary School Principal, Dr. Ayul Isah, however threw blames on the lackadaisical attitudes of some primary school teachers. According to him some primary school teachers lack the merit to be a teacher; as their input could not even complement the standards of the present day teaching profession. In his words, ‘whenever I sees present day primary school teachers I felt ashamed at their spoken of English Language’. You need to see how some of them would gather themselves beginnings to gossip, when they supposed to have been busy reading or researching during the time which they have no class. Dr. Ayul maintained.
In the same vein, some parents who spokes with me were not cheered about the poor performance of their children; affirmed that, that must be resulted from poor orientation of their teachers.
Expressing further their displeasures, the parents said, if Kogi state government want to scrap primary education let them go ahead; make it known, that they are tired of this inhumane action put forward by the state government; adding that the situation is embarrassing.
Be that as it may, the pupils are caught between the devil and the deep blue sea, as their continuous studies is being jeopardized by the current strike action. As a matter of fact, primary education in Kogi state is one that can be refers to as ‘when two elephant fights the grasses suffers the consequences’. The pupils were the one having their teethes set on edge; being the worst hit-target of the cruel pangs of incessant strike action in the state.
Well, as things stands now, the teachers want their plight to be considered in no distance time, and more importantly the pupils’ plight; not only for quick resumption, but also proffers solution to other challenges ranging from dilapidating school buildings that are no more conducive for learning to shortage of teachers; as the investigation shows, most of these primary schools have 3, some 4 teachers.
Is it not an irony for payroll to be at the high side and not reflecting the numbers of teachers discharge to duty? It is an absurd indeed; and something must be done fast.
However, there is urgent need for Gov. Wada to wade into this unfortunate situation, for if it persist for a longer time, could lead to total collapse of primary education in the state; but how ready is Gov.Wada to settle this reoccurring problem, only God knows.
