The Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, has said it is ready to resume classes but not in states still owing its workers up to four months’ salaries.
The NUT Secretary-General, Mike Ene, stated this in an interview, adding that since teachers had wasted more than five months away from school because of the COVID-19 pandemic, they would return to classes in adherence to the necessary protocols.
When asked about preparations for the proposed January 18 resumption date for schools by the Federal Government, Ene said, “Yes, we will want to resume. Why not, if not? I don’t think anything will make us not resume. We are ready, but the places where we will not resume are in states where government is owing workers, especially states where government is owing four months to any set of workers, either primary and secondary schools. We have asked our teachers to stay at home in such states.
“Besides that, we are very ready. Don’t forget that during COVID-19, we wasted about five months at home. So, I don’t think anything now will make us not to resume. Even though there is this second wave, as teachers, we have known how to take precautions.
“As I speak, I cannot quote the states that are owing because we just started collecting the data, we have just written all the states to tell us the details about payment.
“But we have declared a strike in Abia State and so our teachers in Abia State commenced strike on Monday.
“Abia State is owing several months salaries of between 12 and 15 months for both primary and secondary schools and other various things they are owing.”
