By Amos Aar
TEACHERS in Benue State have appealed to Governor Hyacinth Alia to clear the backlog of 11 months’ salary arrears owed them as they joined their counterparts across the world to mark this year’s World Teachers’ Day with a call for improved welfare and collaboration in the education sector.
Speaking during the celebration held at the Teachers’ House in Makurdi, Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Benue State Wing, Comrade Levi Akumah, urged the government to prioritize the welfare of teachers as a critical component of educational reform.
Akumah commended Governor Alia for demonstrating commitment to the development of basic education, noting that his administration has shown interest in teachers’ welfare and infrastructural improvement across schools.
He also lauded the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) for its efforts in promoting quality education and called on stakeholders to embrace teaching as a collaborative enterprise involving not only teachers and government but all segments of society.
However, the NUT chairman pointed out lingering challenges confronting teachers in the state, including unpaid 11-month salary arrears, omission of some teachers from the payment vouchers between 2018 and 2022, and the revocation of the union’s land at Idye Village without compensation.
He appealed to Governor Alia to address these issues as part of his ongoing efforts to reposition the education sector and secure a better future for the Benue child.
“It is not the provision of materials alone that matters, but the welfare of teachers, because the living condition of the teacher is the living condition of the child,” Akumah stressed.
Responding, the Executive Chairman of SUBEB, Dr. Grace Adagba, however disclosed that the governor had already delivered on six out of the seven demands presented by the NUT, which include prompt salary payments, correction of payroll omissions, approval of incremental steps, reinstatement of Teachers Registration Council (TRC) allowances, and rehabilitation of dilapidated school infrastructure.
Dr. Adagba added that other achievements under the Alia administration include the implementation of the ₦75,000 new minimum wage for teachers, extension of service years from 35 to 40, recruitment of over 9,000 teachers, and consistent training and retraining programmes to boost capacity.
Dwelling on the theme of this year’s celebration, “Recasting Teaching as a Collaborative Profession,” the SUBEB chairman charged teachers to reciprocate government’s efforts through renewed dedication and professionalism.
In a goodwill message, National President of the NUT, Comrade Audu Amba, represented by the National Auditor, Sule Muhammed, stressed the need for adequate funding and equitable budgetary allocation to public education to enhance teachers’ welfare and create a more conducive learning environment for pupils.
