In what appears as a sudden change of heart, Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala, yesterday approved the immediate payment of July 2010 salary of teachers in the state.
The state government had earlier declared that it would not pay teachers in the state their July salary, since, according to the government, they do not work for it, as it was the period they were pressing for the implementation 27.5 per cent salary increase.
The state Commissioner for Education, Dr. Nureni Adeniran, had last week told visiting executive members of the state wing of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) in his office that the decision not to pay their July salary was unanimously taken at the State Executive Council meeting.
A lot of criticisms had since followed the pronouncement, with many condemning government’s stand on the issue.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had last week, through its Chairman, Mr. Lamidi Apapa and the Secretary, Mr. Olu Abiala, issued a statement condemning the government for making such pronouncement having earlier signed a pact of ‘no victimization’ with the teachers.
Other individuals and groups had also joined forces in criticizing government’s posture on the issue.
But while announcing the new government position on the issue yesterday, Governor Akala through his Special Assistant on Public Communications, Mr. Dotun Oyelade said though it was lawful to deny the teachers the July salary because they were on strike and did not work for the pay, appeals from sections of the populace and particularly the leadership of the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS) and the Association of Primary Schools Head teachers of Nigeria (AOPSHON) had persuaded government to change its stand.
Oyelade said Governor Akala gave the directive for the release of the seized salary when members of the two unions, ANCOPSS and AOPSHON, paid him a courtesy call in his office on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the state government had procured science, technical and home economics equipment worth N90 million for distribution to public secondary schools in the state.
The Permanent Secretary of the state Ministry of Education, Dr. Bashiru Bello, who disclosed this at the opening ceremony a workshop for Senior Secondary Schools Mathematics Teachers and distribution of books held at the House of Chiefs, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan, added that the workshop was geared towards improving the teaching and learning of Mathematics across Lagos, Ogun and Oyo states to enhance better performance of students in the subject.
He pointed out that without credit in Mathematics (O’Level) there would be no chance for any student to study science courses, hence the decision of the government to provide the retraining exercise since many students had hatred for Mathematics notwithstanding the utility of the subject as a means of livelihood to all professionals.
| Posted: at | |
TRENDING GISTS 
JAMB: Father Arrested For Impersonating Son During UTME In Kaduna
Veteran Journalist, Ray Ekpu Loses Wife To Cold Hands Of Death
VIDEO: Davido Lists Artistes He Loves To Collaborate With