As teachers in Rivers
State joined their counterparts to mark this year’s World Teachers’ Day in the state on Wednesday, the Nigeria Union of Teachers’ (NUT) has bemoaned the plight of teachers’ in the state.
Speaking to The Tide, the state chairman of the union, Comrade Lucky Nkpogone, said that teachers were suffering not only in the state but in other parts of the country over lack of proper care for their welfare and salary payment.
Nkpogone called upon the state government to immediately commence the payment of salary arrears owed the teachers in the state to alleviate their suffering and the hardship members of the union are passing through.
He said that being a teacher was not a crime but that the value and prestige of teachers have been downgraded by those in authority, adding that it was high time teachers were accorded their rightful recognition in society.
He lamented that teachers despite being character molders through the impartation of knowledge have been neglected in the scheme of things even by those they trained and who found themselves in present day governance.
The NUT boss urged the state government to prioritise the welfare of teachers as a cardinal principle of governance in the state.
He said that teachers’ promotions for sometime in the state have been stunted and urged government to release the outstanding results of teacher’s promotion.
Nkpogone said that this year’s World Teachers Day in the state was marked in a low key due to challenges faced by teachers over lack of welfare, non-payment of salary, non release of the result of promotion interviews and lack of conducive environment for teachers in the state.
He reminded the government that teachers have families and wards in schools to be catered for but their wards are at home because no money.
Meanwhile, the National secretariat of the union in Lagos has issued two weeks ultimatum to the federal government to meet the union’s demands or face a nationwide strike by the union.
Speaking to newsmen in Abuja after the World Teachers’ Day, the National President of the union, Comrade Michael Olukoya said teachers’ are only paid in percentages, teachers’ are denied their gratuity, stressing that the country’s leaders must stop complaining, rather they should sit down, plan, call specialists in the education sector to address the problems of teachers.
Olukoya urged the federal government to involve the union and professional teachers in its planned recruitment of 500,000 teachers nationwide.
The theme of this year’s World Teachers’ Day celebration was “Valuing Teachers’, Improving their Status”.

Philip Okparaji