By Israel Bulus, Kaduna

The Chairman of Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Chikun LGA of Kaduna state, Comrade Syrus Hassan said about 300 of their members have not been paid salary for several Months.

He disclosed this in an interview with newsmen at a ‘ One Day Conference tagged:” Dignity of a Teacher 2023″, organised by Uncle Focus Educational Consult and General Contract Ltd, on Friday in Kaduna.

Comrade Hassan further decried that teachers are still lacking behind in terms of welfare, adding that some of their members have not been getting any benefits and incentives like leave grants for Months.

He said government has tried it best in educating teachers by making it important for them to improve their knowledge and attend workshops, there was need for them to be paid their wages.

“The conference was educative and will add value, dignity and respect to teachers who found their way to the conference, adding It was to enlighten and update their knowledge on modern technics.

“The government has tried it best in educating teachers for making it important for them to see the need to improve knowledge and attend workshops.

“Actually, to say the truth, teachers are still lacking behind in terms of welfare. We want to thank them, but up til now there are teachers that are still not getting one or two benefits and incentives like leave grants for years but we know that it cannot go round.

“We’ve been pressing on to see that the teachers are paid but uptill now we still have a number of them that have not been paid for several months.

“Unpaid teachers are up to about 300”, he lamented, calling on government to pay the wages of teachers who are owed salary arrears, blaming some on bureaucratic bottleneck and long process procedures as been responsible for the delay.

“Some of the old teachers are having certificate saga. It was realised that their certificate had issues. Some have been cleared and approvals given to be paid, but till now not paid. Non teaching staffs like Security, Nanny amongst others, regular employees, have also not been paid for almost two years now.

Also speaking, the lead consultant and Co-founder of Uncle Focus Educational Consult and General Contract Limited, Ziniyet Godwin Hillary, said they’re NGO working around education sector with vision to make education in Kaduna, Nigeria, African and the world more efficient

“We’re working around education and everything about it. We have the vision of making education both in Kaduna state, Nigeria, Africa and the world, more efficient.

“We add innovation to education, to support schools, individuals, school owners, teachers and children to make education more efficient and better.

“The Conference was inspired by the various engagement had with teachers in 2022. We are engaging 2,000 teachers across the 23 Local Government Areas both public and private schools including outside Kaduna state,” He said.

He explained that their organisation realised there’s uniformity in their cries as teachers, and it boils down to how their dignity as teachers has been trampled upon. They are the light and conscience of our society.

“We need to carry teachers on our soldiers. They’re our heroes. We need to respect them. This conference is bringing in teachers from both public and private schools to talk and discuss on issued affecting or bordering them.

“Making class rooms engagement, teaching and learning easier and better. Topics featuring in the conference includes the role of teachers in nation building, civic participation, dignity and how teachers can leverage on technology to make their work more effective and easier”, he said.

He noted that most Nigerian teachers are behind in education tech. “So we bring them together to sensitize them on these purpose, the consciousness that they need to meet up with rest of the world in education technology.
“We’re covering all the 23 LGA in Kaduna and all states in Nigeria. Life of teachers in Kaduna are not where it suppose to be yet.

“My late mother was a teacher. Four years after her death we have not been able to access her death benefits. So imagine what’ll happen to us if we’re not working. Government and NGOs and others need to push for better life for the teachers, he advised.

Mrs. Sara Atu .N, the acting education secretary chikun LGA, also said in an interview that stressed the important of involving their teachers with a view to upgrading their dignity

“I saw the need to involve my teachers because it has to do with upgrading the dignity of them. The teachers need to know that they should also promote their own dignity, not waiting for government alone all the times or any other body to promote their dignity.

“The conference came at the right time we are. The participants are expected to be 2000 but because of the crisis of cash and transport we’ve over 300 here. Primary schools teachers, and that of senior and junior secondary schools.
“Teaching as a profession has value and we bring them here to added value to it, only from Chikun LGA participating now.”, she said.