Woes of basic education teachers in Kogi

It was further learnt that leaders of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) in the state have directed teachers to take their destiny in their hands to make life better for themselves.Findings have indicated that some of the problems faced by the teachers include non-payment of two months’ salary arrears, non-implementation of N18,000 minimum wage […]

It was further learnt that leaders of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) in the state have directed teachers to take their destiny in their hands to make life better for themselves.
Findings have indicated that some of the problems faced by the teachers include non-payment of two months’ salary arrears, non-implementation of N18,000 minimum wage and non-inclusion of teachers in the annual salary increments.
Others are non-payment of four years leave bonus and the inability of government to pay the teachers their four years promotion allowances.
The teachers are also worried about dilapidation of school structures in the state, non-provision of teaching and learning materials to schools and dearth of teachers.  
A source told Daily Trust that government initially owed teachers three months salary arrears – October, November and December 2014 – before it paid the teachers October salary, according to NUT’s state chairman, Suleiman Abdullahi.
Abdullahi also confirmed that although government has commenced payment of November salary arrears, only few teachers have received alerts in that respect.
“Not all the teachers in the state received the November salary arrears. Only teachers in three out of the 21 local governments received alerts while those in 18 local government areas have not started receiving alerts. Our December salary arrears are still pending and no one knows when the government will pay that,” he lamented.
Daily Trust gathered that the situation has led to series of strikes by the teachers in order to press home their demands while the government has conducted several screening of teachers yet all these have not yielded any encouraging result on the plight of the teachers.
On Monday, a committee set up by the state government met with the teachers’ union pertaining to the plight of the teachers but the meeting as usual ended in a deadlock.
Teachers’ union leader has told Daily Trust by phone that nothing was achieved at the meeting, adding that “we made it clear at the meeting that government is killing public schools in Kogi by refusing to address the problems at stake.
 “January is about to end but we have not received our November and December salaries. Teachers are dying in the state. We have taken our case to the council of traditional rulers which promised to see the governor on the matter but up till this time that I am talking to you, nothing has been done. What is our crime? Are we not part of the state or are we not employed by the same government?” he questioned.
Some of the teachers who spoke to Daily Trust said life has not been easy for them and their families as government has turned them into beggars.
One of the teachers, Umar Shuaibu Adoga, said for several years he has not been living like a salaried worker because he cannot meet his family’s financial obligations.
He said that he had to borrow money to settle his children’s school fees and transport fees to school, adding that “some of our colleagues have died because they don’t have money to go to hospital for treatment.  
“There was a time one of us died because of N3,000. He was not attended to by doctors because he didn’t have the money. It is really disturbing to be a salaried worker when you cannot meet your obligations as the head of your family,” he said.
According to him, the most annoying aspect of the whole issue was that other civil servants in the state were not owed by the government.
Another teacher, Adomu Sule, said life has become meaningless for teachers in Kogi State as “it is from the salary we transport ourselves to work, buy foodstuff and carry out other financial obligations. But since we resumed, I have been trekking to school to teach and also trek back home. Some of us have resorted to menial jobs to be able to pay for some responsibilities as the heads of their families,” he lamented.
Adomu who is the Chairman, Basic Education Staff Association of Nigeria, Kogi State chapter added that they cannot enjoy social life because of the unpaid salaries and other entitlements.
“As I am talking to you, my house was disconnected by the electricity company because I have not been able to pay my bills for a very long time. The essence of working is to be able to afford certain amenities but now, we are handicapped,” he said.
Aliyu Abdulmaji, a junior secondary school teacher, said the condition of primary school teachers in the state is pathetic, noting that government has turned him to a beggar and debtor.
“As it is now, I can’t pay my house rent and the school fees for my children. I have to take a loan of N100,000 which attracts interest of N35,000 before I could pay my children’s school fees,” he added.
Another primary school teacher, Mrs. Yusuf Janet, told Daily Trust that; “As I am talking to you now, I have not paid my children’s school fees. I can’t even take care of my aged parents. Presently, I have not received November salary. It pains us because we are not treated the same way as other sets of government workers in the state.”
When contacted, Chairman of Kogi State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB),  Malam Nuhu Ahmed said that the teachers were aware of the shortfall of about N96 million in their salaries and the cause of the matter was that government did not know the actual number of teachers on its payroll.
He said based on this, an interim committee has been constituted to verify teachers in the state, adding that so far government had paid the teachers their October and November salary arrears and that arrangements for the payment of December salary have reached advanced staged.
He said that government was also working on leave grants and other entitlements it owed the teachers, noting that government was working around the clock to pay the teachers all their entitlements.
“What is delaying the whole matter is that government wants to fish out the ghost workers. Presently, I have deployed the services of consultants to do the work and I can assure you, I will tackle this issue in the next three months. This is in addition to the committee set up by government, which I am a member, to meet with the teachers’ union leaders and address the matter,” he said.
On the N18,000 minimum wage, he said: “From what I have read, the NUT has signed agreement with government that they should be paid 50 per cent of the minimum wage and this is what they have been paying. If you look at the chart it is not even 50 per cent; some of them are taking 75 per cent and others 90 per cent. And it is the NUT that developed that chart not government.”
He therefore appealed to the teachers to be patient with government, assuring that things would soon change for the better.