…Demands Immediate Payment Of Pensions, Gratuity

The Niger Chapter of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), has demanded the immediate payment of pension of retired teachers in the state.
The NUT Chairman in the state, Alhaji Ibrahim Umar, made the request at the opening of the Quadrennial Delegates Conference of the union in Kotangora on Tuesday.
He said that, most of the teachers who retired two to three years were yet to be paid their pensions and gratuity by the state government.
According to him, the situation has forced some of them to turn to street beggars to survive while others have died.
Umar said, the state government has no reason to keep the teachers in such pitiable condition and urged it to immediately settle the entitlement of retired teachers.
The NUT chairman also called on the Ministry for Education and that of Local Government to hasten the implementation of the promotion of teachers in primary and post primary schools.
He said that, such gesture would boost teachers’ morale and ensure effective and efficient service delivery.
The NUT chairman urged the government to employ more qualified teachers to fill in existing vacancies created by those who had left the service.
Umar, also advised the government to procure adequate instructional materials for schools to achieve the desire of transforming the education sector.
He disclosed that, the union had spent N188 million to acquire landed property to shore up its income and strengthen the economic status of its members.
The chairman commended the state government for its plan to establish Teachers Development Institute, saying, such move would restore the lost glory of the teaching profession.
The Tide source reports that the delegates conference, has as its theme, ‘Improving Teachers Quality, Enhancing our Educational Standards.’
The guest speaker, Alhaji Yabagi Alfa, Registrar, College of Education Minna, who delivered a keynote address on ‘Improving Quality, Enhancing Our Educational Standard’, described education as a vehicle for national development.
He said that, education was the biggest industry that touches the fabric of human endeavors and an investment for the nation to develop its economy, political and human resources.
According to him, in spite of its importance, education will only deliver the desired results if there are quality teachers.