PARENTS and students are bemoaning the inability of the 104 Unity Schools to reopen after an extended holiday occasioned by the outbreak of the deadly Ebola Virus Disease in Nigeria.
The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) in the Federal Ministry of Education and the Unity Schools declared a strike action on September 22 following Federal Government’s failure to, among others, pay salary arrears, provide better conditions of service and promote workers as at when due.
The Issues
Vanguard’s investigations reveal that all the staff of the 104 Unity Schools, Federal Inspectorate Offices and the Federal Ministry of Education headquarters commenced the strike at the expiration of a three-month grace period given to Minister Shekarau to meet their demands.
According to the Organising Secretary, ASCSN, Musa Abbas, there would be no compromise until the demands of the workers are met.
Abbas said: “Our grouse is that we want our entitlements paid to us. We have been dialoguing with management since 2007 and all we keep getting are promises, yet they collect money from government but refuse to pay us our promotion allowances, repatriation allowances, death benefits and so on.
“These allowances, which have accumulated over the years, include, but are not limited to, outstanding promotion arrears for 2007-2010 and the balance of 2011; arrears of salaries to some staff for July, August, September, and October 2013; end-of-year incentives; non-payment of first 28 days in lieu of hotel accommodation; 2010 mandatory training; repatriation allowance; duty tour allowance to affected officers, among others.”
Though the sum of N527,643,440.00 (five hundred and twenty-seven million, six hundred and forty-three thousand, four hundred and forty-four Naira) has been released by the Budget Office to the Central Bank of Nigeria for onward transmission to the Federal Ministry of Education to start the payment of the first batch of promotion arrears, ASCSN’s Secretary General, Alade Lawal, and the Chairman, Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Federal Government Wing, Comrade Emeka Okonta, both said the strike continues until there is proof of payment from our members.
Okonta, who was among those owed their salaries between July and October 2013, when the Integrated Payroll System was introduced by the government, said government must show some seriousness in offsetting the arrears so as not to jeopardise the future of the students.
Parents, students lament
Though the striking workers have good reasons to embark on the strike, it has caused sadness and pains for affected parents and students, especially as other students are in school.
One of such parents is Mrs. Joy Chukwu, whose son is at home said: “gone are the days when teaching at any FGC was dream come true; when attending FGC was a thing of pride. It is so sad that these unity schools are now shadows of their former selves and, unfortunately, that damage seems irreparable. Government ought to take drastic and urgent steps to reverse this situation before it is too late.”
Mrs. Omotolani Oyewale, whose daughter is in Queens College, Yaba, said “I’m not happy with the situation of things because other students are in schools except those in Unity Schools. Can you imagine the stress we went through to take our kids back to school only for us to be called the next day to come and take them home. Since it is government that ordered schools to resume September 22, the same government should meet their demands so that our children can go back to school too.”
For Mr. Joe Adewale, keeping students at home is tantamount to playing with the future of our children.
“Initially, schools were shut because of Ebola; now that other schools have resumed, unity schools are still shut because of government’s failure to pay the workers their entitlements. What they have failed to realise is that they are toying with the future of these children because nature abhors vacuum and if they are not occupied with academic activities, it would take the grace of God to keep them positively occupied.”
Tired of staying at home, a JSS 2 student of Queens College, Yaba, Opemipo Ajumobi, called on government to meet the demands of the teachers so that she can go back to school: “because I’m tired of being alone at home when my brother goes to school.”
Likewise is SS2 student of Federal Government Technical College, Yaba, Flourish Oluyomi, who wears a long face all day due to his prolonged stay at home. He said: “government should please urgently meet the demands of our teachers so that we can go back to school because other schools are in session but we are still at home.”
Implication for students
There is no denying the fact that the students would be at the receiving end as it could lead to decreased academic performance.
Aware of this, ASCSN’s Secretary General, Alade Lawal, charged all teachers to ensure that they cover up by giving students extra lessons when the strike is suspended.
In the words of the Principal, Kings College, Lagos, Otunba Dele Olapeju: “school administrators have no choice but to adjust their curricula to cover much grounds.”
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