Segun Awofadeji in Gombe
Teachers in Gombe state have protested the continuous handling of their welfare by the local government authorities, saying they do not want a repeat of past experiences.
Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) of the state branch had staged a protest to the office of the Head of Service, Dr. Daniel Mohammed Musa.
The Chairman , Mr. Dauda Usman, said the Kogi state example and their 1994 experience in Bauchi state were enough eye-openers for them, adding that the teachers would rather prefer to have their salaries and welfare issues transferred to the state government or paid directly.
Earlier during the rally the Gombe branch of NUT threw their weight behind the call for local government autonomy. They however said their concern was the salary of primary school teachers as the poor handling of this stratum of education has an overall effect on quality and standard.
The State Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Haruna Kamara said the NLC would do everything in its power to defend the integrity of teachers whom he described as the pivot of development.
In his response, the Head of Service, Dr. Daniel Mohammed Musa acknowledged the role of teachers as foundational, insisting that nothing survives without a foundation. He promised to present their request before the governor and assured them that they would get their entitlements as and when due.
