NUT Endorses LG, State Joint Account

The leadership of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has declared its support for the operations of the Local Government State Joint Account System being adopted and practised by state governments in Nigeria.

The National President of NUT, Comrade Michael Olukoya stated this while speaking to journalists in Port Harcourt recently.

Comrade Olukoya said the abolition of the joint account would be a disaster particularly for the primary school teachers among others.

He said the union’s opposition to the call for the stoppage of the Local Government state joint account was as a result of the inability of most local government councils in the country to pay primary school teachers their salaries.

The union boss said the joint account has ensure accountability and proper monitoring of the finances of the local government councils by the State government.

The Labour leader said the continuation of the joint account operations was in the best interest of the nation, stressing that the conditions of primary school teachers have been improved through regular salary payment under the joint account system.

He said the support of the union leadership for the joint account was more for the solid development of the educational sector in the country.

The union boss urged the state governments in the country to ensure transparency in the management of the joint account between the State-Local Government.

He said that the union’s position on the issue would help the National Assembly to take the best decision on the matter during the process of the constitutional amendment before the National Assembly.

Comrade Olukoya said the union strongly opposed the local government autonomy as being clamoured by the National Union of Local Government Employees and other Nigerians in the  interest of sustainability of the nation’s democracy.

Philip Okparaji