Teachers Boycott School In Akwa Ibom Over Non-Payment Of November Salary

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Nsit Ibom Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, has ordered teachers in public primary schools to stay away from school over nonpayment of November 2021 salary.

In a notice jointly signed by Ekom John and Michael Ukana, the NUT branch chairman and secretary, the union said primary schools in the local government area were not going to re-open along with other schools.

The Akwa Ibom State Government through the state Commissioner for Education, Idongesit Etiebiet, in a press release, on Friday, directed that all public and private schools in the state should resume on January 10.

But the NUT said that primary schools in the area would remain closed until the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) pays the outstanding salary owed to the teachers.

“This is to notify teachers in this school that public primary schools are not yet reopened in Nsit Ibom Local Government Area until the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) pays the November 2021 salary to us as they had paid to teachers in other local government areas.

“Until that is done, stay away from this premises till otherwise directed,” the NUT stated in a notice posted in schools in the area.

In a letter to the SUBEB chairman, dated January 7, the NUT accused the board of deliberately withholding the salary of teachers in the local government area despite continuous dialogue and passionate appeal.

“The leadership of the NUT, Nsit Ibom Branch observed with great consternation the flagrant perversion of the welfare of teachers under the employ of your Board.

“The State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) devoid of human sympathy has the mind to withhold the payment of November 2021 salary to Primary School Teachers in Nsit Ibom Local Government Area up till date, despite our continuous dialogue and passionate appeal to the Account Section of the Board to address such magnitude of injustice.

“We wish to notify your good offices that no public primary school in the Local Government will be reopened for whatever reason on Monday 10th January 2022 until the said month salary is paid,” it added