Benue teachers threaten to go on indefinite strike

Teachers in Benue State have threatened to embark on an indefinite strike to protest a mass demotion and downsizing exercise carried out by the state government.

The threat which was issued by the State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Markudi on Tuesday, said its members will be left with no option but to down tools if the government fails to restore promotions and pay all the arrears of consolidated enhanced allowances removed from their May and June 2023 salaries, among other demands.

In a statement by the State Chairman of NUT, Comrade Levi Terna Akuma, the union insisted that their promotions were legally carried out by the past administration and wondered why the present administration would demote their members and refuse to pay their allowances.

Read also: Benue govt uncovers 2,500 ghost teachers, LGA staff, saves N1.2bn

Akuma said the union has already issued the state government a 48-hour ultimatum which is to elapse on Wednesday, to right what he calls the ‘noticeable wrongs’ they have observed in the two months’ salaries paid to them a few days ago.

In another communiqué issued after an emergency State Executive Council meeting of the NUT signed by Akuma and the state Acting Secretary, Comrade Jeremiah Ochonu, the union called on Governor Hyacinth Alia to restore all the promotions of teachers which it reversed and direct the payment of their arrears within the stipulated time.

The NUT also lamented the manner of payment of May and June 2023 salaries to primary school teachers in the state, which according to it, saw the massive demotion of all teachers on salary grade levels which they have been enjoying since their last promotion of 2021 and the implementation in February 2022.

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