States and Local governments have been urged to pay outstanding salary arrears to teachers after a motion titled “Non payment of Teachers Salaries across the Country” was moved by Sen. Dino Melaye (APC:Kogi) at Senate plenary on Tuesday, 12th July, 2016. According to the motion, despite the Federal government bailout funds to 23 States to settle workers salaries and school teachers in September 2015, public school teachers across the Federation have been denied their salaries for up to 5 months in some instances due to the present economic crisis.
Elaborating on the motion, Sen. Melaye expressed worry over the probability and effects of a nationwide teachers’ strike fearing that it might result in a mass exodus of experienced teachers from public to private schools and lead pupils with no alternatives to become susceptible to criminal delinquencies. He also drew attention to the 2016 Budget which had promised the employment of more teachers and expressed concern over the possibility of the non-continuation of the program if those currently employed were yet to be paid salaries. In addition, he also feared that the closely related school-feeding program that the Government intended to embark on might suffer since teachers are expected to superintend the program.
Following the motion, the Senate resolved to:
- Urge the Federal Government to immediately enter into negotiations with States and come up with an effective and comprehensive intervention scheme that should be presented to the National Assembly.
- Urge Federal, States and Local government to immediately implement a priority expenditure scheme that places the primacy of teachers’ salaries in the same cadre of public expenditure like security.
