Francis Sardauna in Katsina
The Katsina State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) yesterday appealed to the state Governor, Aminu Bello Masari, to approve and implement the 27.5 per cent Teachers Peculiar Allowance for primary and post-primary school teachers in the state.
The outgoing Chairman of the NUT, Suwidi Hassan Dayi, made the appeal at the seventh quadrennial state wing conference of delegates held at the Local Government Service Commission’s Conference Hall in Katsina.
He expressed displeasure that despite several agitations by the union for the implementation of the teachers’ peculiar allowance for teachers in the state, the government remained adamant over its plight.
He said: “It is disheartening that in spite of several agitations of our state wing for the restoration of 27.5 per cent teachers’ peculiar allowance to both primary and post-primary school teachers in the state, the government remains adamant on the issue.”
Dayi, however, said the implementation of the allowance would avert and ensure industrial harmony in the education sector and enhance teachers’ productivity and motivation in the state.
He added that the salary structure of teachers was not competitive when compared to other categories of workers in the state, saying the scenario will truncate teachers’ performance.
While lamenting that terrorists had killed and abducted undisclosed number of teachers in the state, Dayi said the shutdown of boarding schools in violence-proven areas by the government had negatively affected the education sector.
To tackle the spate of attacks and abductions of school children, he said the government should engage security personnel for periodic patrols of schools in order to safeguard the school environment.
According to him, “Pupils and students must be taught on how to respond to security emergencies. They must also be taught some basic skills of self-defence.”
