Kogi 2019: Pressure Mounts on Governor Bello to pay 39 months salary arrears

October 29, 2019
255 Views

Over 7,000 teachers in public primary and junior secondary schools in Kogi State have appealed to Gov. Yahaya Bello to look into the issue of non-payment of their salary for the past eight to 39 months.

The Kogi teachers made the appeal in a communique issued at the end an emergency meeting of the Basic Education Staff Association of Nigeria (BASAN) held in Lokoja on Monday .

The group traced the teachers’ plight to the staff screening exercise the government embarked upon since 2016, lamenting that the affected teachers had turned beggers in order to feed themselves and family members.

According to BESAN, the affected teachers are among over 23,000 of its members in the state.

The communique, jointly signed by Mr Onotu Yahaya and Mr Mohammed Sule, Acting Chairman and Secretary of the Kogi State chapter of BESAN, also bemoaned the refusal of the state government to fully implement the N18,000 minimum wage to teachers in the basic education sector.

Onotu and Sule stated that their counterparts in the senior secondary school cadre and other state government staff had been enjoying the N18,000 minimum wage since Dec. 2011, wondering why teaching and non-teaching staff at the basic education sector were not being fully paid.

The communique urged the government to put a stop to the payment of 35 to 50 per cent salary to its members, insisting that they deserved full payment of salary like other workers in the state.

“Several of the basic education staff retirees are yet to access their monthly pensions besides non-payment of their gratuity,” the statement said.

They expressed worry over what incessant movement of payment of their salary among the State Universal Basic Education Board, local government councils and sometimes, consultants, saying that this had mitigated against efforts to ascertain actual staff strength in the sector.

It also raised concern over the poor state of basic education infrastructure in schools across the state, warning that the development was an impediment in meeting the desired productive curriculum delivery.

“We are passionately appealing to Gov. Bello for intervention on the above inflammatory issues for the change mantra of the next level and change of narration of this critical sector of education,” the communique added.

You may be interested

Man City Suffer Double Injury Setbacks
Sports
1 views
Sports
1 views

Man City Suffer Double Injury Setbacks

Webby - November 2, 2024

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has provided an update on the fitness of John Stones and Ruben Dias following Saturday’s…

Former Flying Eagles Star Escapes Major Injury In Belgium
Sports
Sports

Former Flying Eagles Star Escapes Major Injury In Belgium

Webby - November 2, 2024

Nigeria winger Yira Sor is expected to return to action after the international break, reports Completesports.com.Sor sustained an injury in…

Raphinha: I Decided To Remain At Barca To Prove Doubters Wrong
Sports
1 views
Sports
1 views

Raphinha: I Decided To Remain At Barca To Prove Doubters Wrong

Webby - November 1, 2024

Barcelona star Raphinha says his decision to remain with the club is meant to prove doubters wrong.Recall that the Brazilian…

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published.