Members of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) in schools and colleges in Nigeria, Kwara state branch, have demanded for implementation of federal government approved benefits for teachers at the state level.
The benefits include, incentives for teachers in public basic and secondary
Schools in Nigeria, extension of the retirement age of Teachers to 65 years and the years of service to 40 years from the current 35 years as well as special salary scale and enhanced allowances.
The union, which embarked on a three-day nationwide peaceful protest, starting on Monday, went to the state Head of Service, Mrs Susan Oluwole to press home their requests.
Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamuhad announced at the 2020 World Teachers’ Day Celebration held at the Eagles Square, Abuja, new incentives for Teachers in Public Basic and Secondary Schools in Nigeria which include extension of the retirement age of Teachers to 65 years and the years of service to 40 years from the current 35 years as well as Special Salary Scale and enhanced allowances.
According to a statement jointly signed by the national President and General Secretary of the union Comrade Makolo Hassan and Peters Adeyemi JP respectively, “the federal executive council at its meeting of Wednesday, 20th January, 2021, gave approval to the incentives, while the Honourable Minister of Education announced at a Press Conference that a Bill titled: Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers in Nigeria Bill (2021) would soon be transmitted to the National Assembly in order to be enacted into law
“Unfortunately, the Non-Teaching staff in the Schools system were excluded from this
gesture of Government. While we, members of the Non-Academic Staff Union of
Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) in the Schools and Colleges in
Nigeria applaud this good gesture of Government, we wish to remind the Government that Teachers are not the only workers in Schools. Teachers work with diverse range of Non-Teaching professionals and support personnel in order to achieve the set goals. The Non-Teaching staff in the Basic and Post Primary Schools possess
requisite certificates and complement the teaching staff. Therefore, our interest should be accommodated by government in the ongoing reform.”
The union said it would on Tuesday take its peaceful protest to Ministry of Education, Kwara state House of Assembly while State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and Teaching Service Commission(TESCOM)would be point of call on Wednesday the last day as part of efforts to press home their requests.
In her response, the state Head of Service, Mrs Susan Oluwole, urged the Union to maintain the peaceful protest as she assured their requests would get to the state governor.
