By Hassan Ishaku.
The primary school teachers in Taraba state have decried over the non-payment of salaries for 3 months and urged Governor Darius Ishaku to come to their aids and rescue their lives.
Some teachers who pleaded anonymity while speaking to journalists in Jalingo, described the situation as worrisome and appealed to the Governor as a matter of urgency order for the payment of their unpaid salaries.
A female teacher in one of the primary schools in wukari LGA of the state who also prepared her identity not to be mention, explained that the state government is owing them 3 months salaries.
“Taraba state government is also owing us 2 month salaries that was not been paid in 2017, one during the late Governor, Danbaba Suntai’s regime and the other one was during the former Ag. Governor, Sani Danladi and now 3 months during Ishaku’s administration.” Said the source.
However, they alleged that the leadership of the union had mortgaged the union to the state government that is why they are not puting pressure on the governor to settle their salaries.
Responding to the allegations while fielding questions from newsmen in Jalingo, the Chairman Nigerian Union of Teachers NUT, Taraba state chapter on Monday confirmed the non-payment of primary workers for three months.
The state Chairman of NUT, Comrade Peter Julius also described the situation as pathetic, saying that since the month of May, teachers have not being paid their salary which has now make life unbearable, adding that many of them have not been able to afford their three squeal meal per day.
“When we came on board, there were issues of salary, there were salaries that have not been paid to us but the Union is still in talking terms with the government agitating, soliciting with the government to pay us our salary, this is not what we should be doing because it is our right to be paid our salary it is not a privilege
What they keep telling us because we are about to come to a compromise, but because of the corona virus we have not been paid, it’s very sympathetic because no leader will like to lead people that are crying, our people are crying not because of any other thing but because of our salary even our arrears have not been paid, for the past ten years there have not been promotion for primary school teachers in the state” he said.
He noted that primary school teachers have not enjoyed the eighteen thousand minimum wage implemented in the state some years ago.
“Even the eighteen thousand minimum wage was not fully implemented to the primary school teachers for more than six years today, thank God the thirty thousand minimum wage is now on board but it has not also been implemented in the state, but our major yearnings now is that let our arrears be paid, could you imagine today is 10th August as i speak to you our Salary for the month of May have not been paid to us teachers,
“we are yet to receive our salary that is why we are calling on the state government through our board chairman to talk to the government to pay us our emoluments because the children we are teaching are the children of members of the society” he stressed.
He called on the members of the Union to be calm as its leaders are aware of the situation and the they are working on ensuring that the right of the members of the Union is protected.
The NUT Chairman however noted that the state government engagement of three thousand education rescue teachers in the state has further boost learning in the state but the non payment of teachers salaries is threatening the gains made so far.
