No World Teachers’ Day Celebration in Kogi Due to Unpaid Salaries, Hunger – ASUSS Chairman

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Kogi State chairman Academic Staff Union of Secondary School (ASUSS), Comrade Ranti Mathew Ojo has bemoaned the condition of teachers in the state occasioned by unpaid salaries.

Speaking with newsmen in Lokoja on Thursday, Ojo said teachers in Kogi will not be celebrating the World Teachers’ Day slated for 5th October 2018 because of the prevailing issues of unpaid salaries and the hardship in the state.

The labour leader said teachers are hungry and demoralized with the current situation on ground.

Ojo who doubles as the Kogi State Chairman Trade Union Congress (TUC) noted that Teachers in Kogi State now find it difficult to feed their families daily as they are owned not less than six months to 20 months salaries.

“If you ask the teachers to come to Lokoja from all the 21 local government areas from their various schools, they can’t even afford it because salaries have not been paid. The economy does not permit us to organize any meeting or celebrate the 2018 World Teachers’ Day.

“I will use this opportunity to appreciate Teachers in the state that despite all this hardship, they are still doing their jobs.

“Government and employers of teachers in the state should give us transport allowance to maintain our body  and souls and be  able to transport our self to heaven so that we could meet our reward  there since they say teachers reward is in  heaven and not earth.

“When these things are not forthcoming, teachers are being demoralized and they can’t put up their optimum performance in the school system.

“So that is the problem that is confronting us. Any teacher in Kogi State as secondary schools is concern, is being owed not less than six months salaries. Government of Kogi state has paid up to May.

“But in the month of August through to December 2017, the State Government paid us 60%.   Which means they are owing us a balance of 40%. For that five months, it gives us 200% which is two months outstanding salaries.

“That is why I said those teachers along with other state workers in the state are being owed not less than  six months and above. With this, there are still some of us, that have arrears that have not been paid as a result of those of us that were placed on salaries due to the screening exercise conducted by the Kogi state government.

“Some are owed three months, twelve months and even twenty months and more. This is totally different from those who are under the uncleared list,” he lamented.

World Teachers’ Day, also known as International Teachers Day, is held every year on October 5 to honor teachers and recognize their contributions to education and development.

Many events are organized on this day to emphasize the importance of teachers and learning and to raise the profile and increase the awareness and understanding of the teaching profession and its importance.


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