The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva has vowed to clear the backlog of teachers’ salaries reportedly owed to primary school teachers within his first 100 days in office.
This is even as the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) Bayelsa State has threatened an indefinite strike in public and secondary schools over non-payment of the N30,000 minimum wage and promotion arrears.
Sylva who spoke to a mammoth crowd during campaign stops at Ekeremor and Aleibiri communities in Ekeremor Local Government Area, regretted that instead of providing jobs, the present state government is sacking workers.
While insisting that the APC ticket is a better alternative to the PDP, he said it was regrettable that teachers are being owed in Bayelsa State.
His words: “We will bring electricity and water to Ekeremor and we will also pay all the salaries that are owed our teachers. I understand that five months salary arrears are being owed to primary school teachers . That will be paid in the first 100 days of my government.
“I do not believe that the salaries of what our people are earning is good enough for them to withhold it , if the salaries are too small then why do you still have to owe them? The salaries, they cannot live on them normally, yet you owe them again on top of that, that is inhumane and wickedness, that is why we say you must change this wicked government.”
The NUT after its executive meeting which gave a 14-days ultimatum for the state government and local government councils to address their plight expressed displeasure that in spite of Bayelsa’s position amongst the top four states with highest earnings from the federation, welfare of teachers was neglected.
According to the union the inability of both state and local governments to implement the N30,000 minimum wage and promotion of primary school teachers in the state has caused untold hardship for teachers in the state.
It expressed dissatisfaction with government’s continuous negligence of the plights of teachers who play critical roles in the state, despite engaging them at different fora as all proved abortive.
The union said the attitude of the government has brought nothing but humiliation and frustration to primary and secondary school teachers in the state.
Signatories to the communiqué after the meeting which ratified the 14 -days ultimatum include: Ikiba Izibenidie, Chairman NUT Yenagoa Branch, Ekereke Aruaman, Chairman NUT Ogbia, Tarabina Ebikibina, Chairman NUT Kolokuma/Opukuma, Amakiri Idibiye , Chairman NUT Nembe
Others are: Koko Michael, Chairman NUT Ekeremor, Dokubo Innocent, Chairman NUT Brass, Akadah Emomotimi, Chairman NUT Sagbama, Sudouwei Solomon, Chairman NUT Southern Ijaw.
Credit: Daily Sun