Tunde Sanni
7 April 2009
Ibadan — Parents in Oyo State heaved a sigh of relief as the 37-day strike, by members of the state chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) was suspended at the weekend.
With the call-off, the teachers have resumed the invigilation of the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE), which they avoided while the strike lingered.
They joined their colleagues in other states to protest the non-payment of 27.5 per cent salary increase otherwise called Teachers Salaries Scale (TSS) by their respective state governments.
The leadership of the union announced the suspension, following an agreement reached with the state government on the implementation of the new salary structure.
State Deputy Chairman, Comrade Bimbo Alade in a communiqué issued at the end of the State Working Executive Council (SWEC) meeting asked the 13, 000 teachers in the state to go back to work immediately.
The union demanded for "a formal establishment circular formally spelling out the details of allowances contained in the 27.5 percent of the basic salary of teachers and addressed to relevant organs of government, principals, head-teachers and Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) as stakeholders."
It also advised government to improve its offer of payment, which it said would commence in August as against the June 2009 date in other states.
This development would prevent permanent secretaries and other principal officers in the Ministry of Education from invigilating the examination.
Prior to the suspension of the strike, the state government had directed permanent secretaries, principals and vice-principals of schools to supervise the on-going examination, teachers' alleged disruption of the examination had created anxiety in most schools. Senior civil servants, who were ordered to commence the invigilation refused to turn up for security reasons.
Special Adviser on Public Communication, Mr. Dotun Oyelade, had in a telephone message to newsmen said the decision to deploy officials of the education ministry was to ensure that students wrote their examination despite the strike.
He said the permanent secretaries and schools administrators would co-ordinate at the zonal level while principals would be assisted by their deputies.
To forestall a chaotic situation, the state government resolved the issue by approving the 27.5 percent enhanced academic allowance.
Commissioner for Education Prof. Taoheed Adedoja said the state heeded to teachers' demand in the interest of peace and concern for the plight of the students sitting for their WAEC examination.
He assured that the payment would commence in August and that the teachers had agreed to call off the strike in appreciation of government's gesture.
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