The Ondo State wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) yesterday joined their counterparts all over the country to re-affirm their position that the payment of salaries of primary school teachers be taken over by the state government to prevent the education sub sector from imminent collapse. The teachers during a protest at the office of the governor in Akure, the state capital, expressed their position on the issue of salary as concerned the local government autonomy. The State Secretary of the NUT, Mr. Solomon Igbelowowa, expressed concern that the likelihood of scrapping the state joint local government account would take them to the dark days should autonomy be granted to local councils. The peaceful protest by the teachers is a nationwide demonstration following their renewed agitation for local government autonomy that was decided at their national executive Council meeting held in Kaduna. Igbelowowa while addressing the gathering stressed that if the Federal Government fails to allow states government to continue with the funding of primary school teachers, they should make the funding come through the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) that will in turn transfer the payment to various states through various universal basic education boards.
