The Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS), Nigeria, has said the best way to honour former President Muhammadu Buhari is to ensure full and unconditional implementation of harmonised teachers’ retirement age law.
In a condolence message Thursday by the national president of ASUSS, Comrade Sola Adigun, and secretary general, Comrade Kenneth Okoh, the union described Buhari’s death as a monumental loss to the country.
ASUSS hailed the contributions of the late president to national development, particularly in the education sector, saying that the signing of the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers in Nigeria Act, 2022, which changed the retirement age of Nigerian teachers to 65 years or 40 years of pensionable service, whichever comes first, was Buhari’s remarkable legacy in education.
The union added that section 1 of the act stipulates that teachers in Nigeria shall compulsorily retire at 65 years of age or after 40 years of service. More importantly, Section 3 nullifies the application of the general public service retirement rule of 60 years or 35 years of service in relation to teachers.
“This singular act of legislative foresight, which late President Muhammadu Buhari signed into law in April 2022 without attaching conditions or exemptions, stands as a testament to his commitment to repositioning the teaching profession in Nigeria.”
However, ASUSS lamented that many states of the federation are yet to implement the law more than two years after its enactment, thereby shortchanging teachers and undermining the intent of the federal legislation.