The Ebonyi Government has denied a report that teachers in some local government areas of the state are being owed salaries by their respective councils.
The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) Ebonyi chapter had on Feb.6, that is Wednesday this week, declared an indefinite strike in seven LGAs of the state over “unpaid three-month salary arrears”.
The allegedly affected LGAs include Edda, Ebonyi, Ezza South, Ezza North, Ivo, Ishielu and Ohaukwu.
But, the State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr Jude Okpor, told newsmen during the weekly executive council meeting briefing, that the issue had been misconstrued.
Okpor noted that the bone of contention was not nonpayment of salaries but deductions from the salaries remitted to the teachers’ parent bodies.
“When you watch videos of stakeholders’ visit to schools in affected LGAs, you will see the teachers affirming that they are not owed salaries.
“They admit to have been instructed to embark on the strike because of the outstanding issues,” he said.
The commissioner remarked that the government only insisted on knowing what the deductions from the teachers’ salaries were for.
“These are public funds and if deducted from the funds of the council, should have been accounted for. That is the disagreement and we cannot be blackmailed for insisting on deviation from the practice of the past,” he said.
In his remarks at the briefing, Prof. Paul Nwobashi, the state Commissioner for Education assured that steps were being taken to amicably resolve the issue.
“We would be meeting with the state Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), the council chairmen, organised labour and NUT over the issue,” he assured.
“The issue is when you say that the deductions have been paid back to the owners, show evidence.”
