Following threat by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) Abia State chapter to embark on indefinite strike tomorrow Thursday over unpaid allowances, the state government, Alex Otti on Tuesday directed State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr Goodluck Ubochi to meet with the leadership of the union to iron out their grievances.
According to the government, there is no need for any strike action by teachers in the state, adding that Governor Otti gave the directive following the threat by the leadership of the union.
Briefing journalists in Umuahia the Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu stated that any delay in teachers renumeration should not be a reason for a strike action as it can be sorted out peacefully.
Kanu also disclosed issues discussed at this week’s State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti.
“There is this news that has been trending on social media about an impending strike by Abia teachers.
“Yes, we have a section of teachers who are not happy with certain issues concerning their renumeration, owing partly to some differentials between the salaries of primary school teachers and their counterparts in the junior secondary schools”.
The Abia Information commissioner regretted that the issue has been blown out of proportion, probably by the opposition, saying “the good news is that the government is paying salaries to Abia workers and pensioners regularly and is also among the first to implement the N70,000 new national minimum wage policy,” he said.
Prince Kanu further outlined other incentives made to the teachers by the Dr. Otti led administration, pointing out that “as part of incentives to encourage teachers who fled the classrooms to the civil service, when the past administration was not paying them their salaries.
“The Executive Council came up with the idea of paying some discriminatory compensation packages to such teachers. It didn’t stop at that, it also increased the retirement age from 60 to 65 years.
“All these were deliberate and intentional policies aimed at achieving a purpose; to encourage and motivate the teachers and to encourage those who left the classroom to civil service to go back , when it appeared we were lacking teachers.
“So it is a no brainer for some group of people to latch unto that to accuse the state government of not prioritising teachers welfare”.
The Commissioner lamented that recently, there has been fake and malicious news being spread on the social media platforms and sponsored by the opposition with the intention of misleading members of the public about the performance of the governor.
According to him, the opposition has resorted to saying things the governor never said just to malign and misrepresent him, saying that they should be mindful of the Cyber Crime Act which may be invoked on their excesses.
“They have resorted to saying things the governor never said or ordinarily would never say because of who he is and what he represents.
“A times they have tried to say things that would pitch the federal government or certain ethnic nationalities in the country against the governor and his administration
“More often than not we have chosen to ignore them in their macabre dance and past time as harbingers of fake news.
“Let me remind the naysayers that this administration is not averse to constructive criticism. What this government frowns at and including all right thinking and patriotic Abians is the recourse of fake news.
“Let it be put on record that at the outset of this administration the governor promised to bring hope and help to Abians.
“In the last 23 months this administration has given Abians more than hope. He has substantially delivered on a new Abia.
“The state government may not be where it is supposed to be or where it desires to be it is worth to note that in 23 months quite a lot has been done and there is still a lot more to be done given the commitment of this administration.
“So the opposition is so piqued that they couldn’t do in 24 years what this administration has done in 23 months”, Kanu stated.
The Abia State Information boss informed that as part of the reforms in education sector, the phase two of the teacher training programme has been concluded with about 2,300 teachers across the state receiving training that focused on 21st century competency based learning.
He added that in health, the Abia State College of Health Sciences and Management Technology has received accreditation in some course areas including, Community Health Technology, Public Health Technology, Students Industrial Works (SIWES) and Health Technology.
On electricity, Prince Kanu disclosed that the Ministry of Power and Public Utilities has completed the installation of 60 kwp solar power project and computer-based training centre at Isiala Ngwa South LGA as a deliberate policy of this same government to spread development across communities in the state.
He maintained that the ministry’s ongoing rural water projects in Umuahia North, Isiala Ngwa South and Arochukwu are progressing well, even as he announced that on Thursday, this week, the state government would be hosting stakeholders to an Abia State Start -Up Forum in collaboration with the German Organization for International Corporation.
The event, he added, would provide opportunity for stakeholders to come together and make input on how the state can promote and encourage technology start-ups, pointing out that it would hold at Hotel Royal Damgrete.
