Confusion as teachers’ strike in Ogun persists

While the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) insisted that the strike would continue, the Academic Staff Union of Secondary School Teachers (ASUSST) in a state-owned broadcast media called members to resume classes. It was gathered that late Tuesday night, the ASUSST Chairman, Comrade Tunde Folarin directed teachers in  secondary schools to resume classes shortly after […]

While the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) insisted that the strike would continue, the Academic Staff Union of Secondary School Teachers (ASUSST) in a state-owned broadcast media called members to resume classes.

It was gathered that late Tuesday night, the ASUSST Chairman, Comrade Tunde Folarin directed teachers in  secondary schools to resume classes shortly after attending  a meeting with NUT, ANCOPPS, COPSHON and the state government. The meeting which was reported to have ended in a deadlock, turned out to be a controversial one, as the NUT and other bodies expressed shock over the ASUSST’s decision.

The development created confusion and panic among the unions, which led to an emergency meeting called by the NUT late Tuesday night. The state chairman of NUT, Comrade Sam Idowu who spoke with Sunday Trust on phone described ASUSST’s decision as “betrayal of the year.”

Idowu declared, “I am talking to you on behalf of all the teachers in the state, we have not changed our decision. The strike continues because the government is paying lip-service to our demand, it is high time we fight the course to the end.”

Amidst the conflicting signals, public schools remain shut, as investigation shows that the teachers were away from their classes against the directive of ASUSST. In a radio programme monitored, Folarin was quoted as saying that his body took the decision to return to classes for two weeks to allow for fresh negotiation, and that, “we cannot allow our members to be sacked by government. The government said if we did not call off the strike teachers would be sacked and we do not want this to happen.”

The state Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Professor Segu Awonusi maintains that the governor will take the risk come January 2010 to start paying the new TSS whether there is money or not.