By Okhide Em’ya David
Edo State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has warned parents and guardians to keep their children and wards out of school on Monday, February 1, 2021, insisting that its indefinite strike remains in force.
This is coming as academic activities is billed to flag off in Schools across Edo State after government lifted the shutdown order it had imposed as parts of measures to curtail the spread of coronavirus.
In a statement, signed by the state NUT Chairman, Mr. Pius Okhueleigbe and Assistant Secretary General, Moni Mike Modesty Itua and three others, the Union passionately begged parents and guardians to keep their children/wards at home pending when the issues in dispute are favorably resolved as their teachers are resolute in ensuring that “Freedom is now or Never.”
It would be recalled that the state government had last Thursday in a statement signed by Osarodion Ogie, Secretary to the Edo State Government ordered public primary school teachers and School Heads to resume academic activities unfailingly on Monday, February 1, 2021 or risk forfeiture of salaries.
The state government who also threatened to apply “No work, No Pay” policy was in reaction to the NUT last Wednesday’s directive which ordered all its members to ignore the February 1 resumption date proposed by the state government while negotiations to resolve the strike continue.
In what however look like a swift response to the State Government’s directive state NUT chairman, Pius Okhueleigbe and Assistant Secretary General, Moni Mike Modesty Itua and three others in Benin City on Sunday, January 31, 2021 insisted that the union has not called off the indefinite strike embarked on since January 18, 2021.
The statement also urged public primary school heads, teachers, parents, pupils and the general public to disregard all forms of threats, blackmail, intimidation, announcements, pronouncements and moves from any quarter, aimed at discrediting the indefinite strike action.
It noted that none of the anti- democratic tactics will utter the unshakeable resolve of the union and its members in ensuring that teachers 10-point demands are met by the Edo State Government.
NUT observed that its attention was drawn to some pronouncements purportedly made by the Edo State Government with regards to the ongoing indefinite strike action embarked on by public primary school teachers and School-Heads in Edo state since January 18, 2020.
“Wherein, it has been reported that government has issued a threat of “No Work, No Pay,” amongst others, to striking teachers with effect from 1st February, 2021.
“Ordinarily, the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Edo State wing would not have bothered to respond to the said pronouncements because they were directed at “National Union of Teachers”, a body unknown to the constitution and laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, but considering some parts of the pronouncements that bear teachers issues presently in dispute between NUT, Edo State Wing and Edo State Government.
“The indefinite strike action by public primary school-Heads and teachers which started on the 18th day of January, 2021 is still very much in force, hence by Monday, February 1, 2021, it will continue unhindered in the (18) eighteen Local Government Areas of the state,” it said.
NUT also begged well-meaning citizens and institutions in Edo state to prevail on government to meet the demands of the teachers instead of embarking on arm-twisting tactics and deploying unproductive tools of engagement.
