By Amos Aar
THE MAKURDI LGA branch of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) has called on the Benue State Government to implement for primary school teachers the N30,000 minimum wage as against the N18,000 which they are currently being paid even as the harsh effect of fuel subsidy removal has continued to bite hard on them.
Comrade Solomon Addingi, NUT chairman, Makurdi LGA branch, made the request Thursday when the Acting chairman of the Benue State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Mr Mzaga Iorhemba, visited school communities faced with vandalism of school properties at St Theresa’s Primary school, Makurdi.
Represented by Comrade Gaga Sebastian, the NUT chairman also requested the state government through SUBEB to ensure prompt payment of teachers’ salaries on the 25th of every month as enjoyed by other civil service workers in the state.
Other demands by the NUT include incorporation of teachers into the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), approving car loans for primary school teachers to ease their transportation to and from work, providing affordable housing scheme through the Federal Mortgage Bank for teachers in the local government as well as providing wardrobe allowances for primary school teachers as enjoyed by other professional bodies.
Comrade Addingi however appreciated the SUBEB chairman for approving the print out of pay slips to all primary school teachers, a development he described as the first of its kind in the history of the establishment. He also appreciated the chairman for eliminating ghost workers from the payment voucher and for convincing the state government to give teachers their deserved and correct grade levels and steps.
On her part, Acting Education Secretary of Makurdi Education Authority, Mrs Judith Kukase, appealed to the state government to move all teachers and administrative staff to appropriate grade levels and steps so as to boost their morale and to restore prestige in the teaching profession.
She solicited the SUBEB chairman to liaise with the state government to deploy more security to their schools and provide basic amenities like toilets, accommodation, school fence, classrooms as well as employ more teachers to balance teacher-learner ratio.
Responding to the demand for prompt payment of teachers’ salaries on the 25th of every month, the SUBEB Ag chairman represented by Mr Augustine Akula who is the Director of Quality Assurance of the Board, said Governor Alia was so passionate about basic education and that’s why “since he took off in May, 2023, salaries are paid as at when due”.
He said: “you will recall that since then, we have not omitted one single salary payment. The issue of this omission cases, underpayment and the rest that we had recorded was because it was not the board that was paying salaries at that time. Salary was given to a committee that was paying it. But we are happy to inform you that payment of salaries has been transferred to SUBEB headquarters. So, beginning from this month, be expecting that all the challenges you are talking about will be addressed”.
The chairman explained why primary school teachers and local government workers are not paid on the 25th of every month as it’s being done to other professions.
“You are talking about payment of salaries on the 25th of every month. You will discover that on the 25th of every month, salaries are paid to all categories of civil servants exception of primary school teachers and local government workers. The issue is that unless this joint account committee is met before funds are released to SUBEB and the local governments. But when federation account sends money to the state government, the governor will direct that they should pay salaries to all the ministries and parastatals. If the 24th is on Friday, salaries will be paid on Friday. But with the case of primary schools and local governments, that Bureau is still there, so they must leave. That’s the only reason that has given rise to that one week delay that you are talking about. But I think the state government is improving. Just like today, we are aware that the joint account committee had a meeting today to disburse the December salaries and we heard on radio, the governor said he is going to pay salaries for two months on the 15th of this month. So, it means that in December alone, you are having two months salaries”.
He argued that the issue of N30,000 minimum wage is not peculiar to Benue State. So, when all other states of the federation are keying into it, Benue will follow suit.
On the recruitment of more teachers, Iorhemba said the previous administration made late recruitment which was cancelled by the present administration. But the Board is still making contacts with Governor Hyacinth Alia who has assured that once every activity is stabilized at the board headquarters, he will allow them to recruit teachers and post them to schools.
Adding her voice on the issue of salary payment, the Director of Administration and Finance (DAF) at SUBEB, Mrs Tsegba Millicent Ngufan, assured that the anomalies being experienced by teachers would soon be corrected, pointing out that positive changes were already evident in the salaries paid last month as according to her grade levels and steps were stabilized through the print out of payment slips. She apologized on behalf of the state government for lapses experienced by teachers.
“Let me first of all apologize on behalf of the state government for all the lapses that you have been experiencing concerning your salaries for a long time all this while. It’s the intention of this government to correct all the anomalies that you people have been experiencing”, the DAF stated.
Cautioning against the vandalization and theft of Basic Education Schools’ properties, the SUBEB Ag chairman threatened to take legal action against anyone caught perpetrating the acts.
Mr Iorhemba in a keynote address expressed concern particularly over the recent vandalization and burgling of the Smart School located at Adaka in Makurdi during which computer tablets and electronic gadgets meant for learning were carted away even as he disclosed that the board had been receiving reports on land encroachment, theft and vandalization in its public schools.
While he urged members of the school communities to avoid theft and destruction of the facilities, Iorhemba informed the invaders that anyone arrested perpetrating the offences will be sentenced to two years in line with section 451 of the criminal code Act in Nigeria. Other speakers at the meeting including Aloysius Yahembe, the chairman of School Based Management Committee (SBMC) from St Mary’s Primary school, North Bank, Clement Ajia, the chairman of Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) from LGEA primary school, Ajia, Chief Simon Ugondo Tov, the kindred head of Wurukum in Makurdi local government and Andrew Tyowua, Chairman of the Association of Primary School Heads of Nigeria (AOPSHON), were unanimous in their remarks on the need for the state government to beef up security in primary schools.
