NUT gives 21-days ultimatum over poor education funding

The Edo State Chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has issued a 21-day ultimatum to the State Government to provide adequate funding for education.

The ultimatum is contained in a nine-point communiqué, issued in Benin on Sunday.

The document was signed by the Chairman of the NUT in the state, Mr Pius Okhueleigbe, and the Acting Secretary, Mr Mike Itua.

The association warned that the government would face dire consequences if it failed to meet the demands of the body before the expiration of the ultimatum.

The union demanded immediate release of funds to cater for primary and secondary schools in the state, lamenting that teachers in public schools had been using their salaries to provide instructional materials.

The union also demanded immediate implementation of the 2013 to 2015 primary school teachers’ promotions as approved by the government and payment of outstanding salary arrears to teachers.

The body, similarly, sought the implementation of the N25, 000 minimum wage to all primary school teachers with the arrears.

According to them, no dime has been paid to anyone since 2016 when the State Government approved the minimum wage.

The union said the ultimatum became necessary, following the expiration of 45 days grace period it gave the government to mutually resolve issues at its meeting with the union last July.

The union decried what it described as a lack of manpower in public schools in the state, advising the government to commence immediate recruitment of about 9,000 teachers to meet the gap.