LAGOS – The Lagos State wing of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), on Monday, pleaded with the Lagos State Government to pay the outstanding 11 per cent of the teachers allowance.
The NUT State chairman, Mr Segun Raheem, said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, that teachers were agitating for the long-expected allowance.
Raheem said that members were still hopeful following government’s repeated promises to pay the outstanding 11 per cent of the Teacher’s Specific Allowance (TSA).
The chairman said that though teachers were happy and anxious about the promise, they are pleading with state government to fast-track the payment.
“When government says that they will pay very soon, I believe that their very soon is now,” he said.
Raheem said that after some agitation and petitions written to the government, a Joint Negotiating Council (JNC) comprising of some government and Labour officials was set up to handle the issue.
“The JNC is established by law and is comprised of labour and government officials, to look into the review of the welfare of workers.[eap_ad_2]
“It was at the meeting of the JNC that a committee was set up to look into the financial implication of our agitation.
“They said the outcome of the committee would determine how it would be embedded into this year’s budget.
“We want to believe that it was based on this that the government has promised to pay the remaining TSA scheme, very soon.
“The NUT is a professional organisation by calling; we want to hold His Excellency to his word because according to him, his word is his bond.
“We hope that this bond would come to a reality and also hope that his promise to pay very soon is now,” he said.
The TSA was a fallout of a series of negotiations between the NUT and the Governors’ Forum.
The Lagos State government had earlier agreed to pay 9.5 per cent of the total allowance of the 27.5 per cent proposed.
NAN also reports that the last 60 per cent was paid in 2012, with a promise to pay the outstanding, very soon.
According to Raheem, the TSA is the only thing that differentiates teachers as professionals from the non-professionals.
“It is important to recognise that teachers have over the years been dedicated to their jobs and produced results.
“Teachers have made government proud through their contributions to the growth of the education sector and I believe now is the best time to appreciate them,” Raheem added. (NAN)[eap_ad_3]
