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From Joe Effiong, Uyo
Except for polytechnics and College of Education, all public schools in Akwa Ibom State have been grounded following an indefinite strike embarked upon by teachers in public primary and secondary schools from Wednesday, March 16, 2023.
The indefinite strike, according to a press release by signed by Victor Amirize, Senior State Secretary of the Nigerian Union of Teachers, Akwa Ibom State, came as a last resort for the teachers after the state government ignored the 21 days and a subsequent seven days ultimatum given by the union to them.
The release said: ‘The NUT hereby orders all primary and secondary teachers in public school to proceed on an indefinite strike action (sic) from midnight of Tuesday 15th 2022.’
According to the release, among the demands the NUT made that were not acceded to include the reopening of the teachers’ amnesty programme.
‘Akwa Ibom State Government teachers’ amnesty programme should be reopened to cover the teachers that were cut off during the last amnesty programme.
‘Appointment of teachers as Permanent Secretaries as well as promotion results of teachers who attended the exercise as in 2020 to be released without recourse to a pass in the Administrative Professional Officers Compulsory Examination because this was not demanded at the point of the interview.
‘Refund of 7% contributory pension to primary school teachers. Payment of gratuity/harmonisation of pension to retired teachers.
‘Payment of 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 leave grant to primary school teachers.’
The teachers are also demanding the payment of promotion arrears for six years from 2011 to 2016 and the release of the 2017 and 2018 promotion exercise conducted by SUBEB as well as immediate commencement of 2019, 2020, 2021 promotion exercise.
The union appealed to both parents and pupils for understanding as the government’s insensitivity to the teachers’ plight has pushed NUT to call for teachers for a strike.
The state owned Akwa Ibom university had since embarked on a sympathy strike to support their counterparts in the University of Uyo, a federal institution.
Daily Sun however learned that most teachers and pupils were not aware of the strike as they went to schools only to be turned back at the gate.
At the time of this report, the state government had yet to make a statement on the matter.
