Imo NUT Threatens Strike Over Attempt To Scrap State, LG Joint Account

The Nigeria Union of
Teachers (NUT) Imo State Chapter threatened strike action over the proposed attempt of the State government to scrap the State, Local Government Joint Account.
Addressing newsmen in Owerri the State capital, on Wednesday, the State chairman of the Union, Dr Cletus Uchenna Okeke, said the proposed attempt of such action by the government would spell doom for the education sector in the state.
Okeke said the negative effect of the proposed scrapping of the state, local government joint account would be the non-payment of NUT members salaries in primary schools, non-remittance of 7.5 per cent counterpart contribution from local government councils to the pension funds of primary school teachers nationwide.
He said that the previous attempt to scrap the State, Local Government Joint Account resulted in industrial action that led to a near total collapse of primary education in Imo State, stressing that primary schools should not be allowed under the direct supervision and funding of the local government councils.
The NUT boss disclosed that the attempt between 1990 and 1994 in Imo State to bring primary schools under the local government was still haunting the education sector in the state, stressing that primary school teachers who retired during that period and even after, were not paid their pensions and gratuities.
Okeke explained that the salaries of the teachers then and their pension were unfortunately diverted to other areas, leaving the teachers to wallow in penury and sudden deaths.
He said the entire members of the union in the State in the interest of industrial harmony demanded that the State, Local Government Joint Account be maintained by the state government or with a proviso that if the account must be scrapped, the responsibility for the payment of the primary school teachers should be transferred to the State government.