Abia Govt. moves to address teachers demands to avert strike action
Abia State Government (ABSG) says there is no need for any strike action by teachers in the state.
The Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu stated this while briefing journalists in Government House Tuesday, on the outcome of this week’s State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti.
He informed that the State Executive Council has however directed the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Elder Goodluck Ubochi to meet with the Nigeria Union of Teachers, adding that as he speaks, the meeting was ongoing.
The Commissioner, who said that there is a section of teachers who are not happy with certain issues concerning their renumeration noted that the matter was being handled.
“There is this news that has been trending on social media about an impending strike by Abia teachers.
“Yes, we have a section of teachers who are not happy with certain issues concerning their renumeration, owing partly to some differentials between the salaries of primary school teachers and their counterparts in the junior secondary schools” Prince Kanu stated.
Prince Kanu also said that the issue has been blown out of proportion, probably by the opposition and informed that the good news is that the government is paying salaries to Abia workers and pensioners regularly and is also among the first to implement the N70,000 new national minimum wage policy.
He further revealed other incentives made to the teachers by the Dr. Otti led administration.
“As part of incentives to encourage teachers who fled the classrooms to the civil service, when the past administration was not paying them their salaries.
“The Executive Council came up with the idea of paying some discriminatory compensation packages to such teachers
It didn’t stop at that, it also increased the retirement age from 60 to 65 years.
“All thees were deliberate and intentional policies aimed at achieving a purpose; to encourage and motivate the teachers and to encourage those who left the classroom to civil service to go back , when it appeared we were lacking teachers.
“So it is a no brainer for some group of people to latch unto that to accuse the state government of not prioritising teachers welfare,” Prince Kanu explained.
The Commissioner noted that recently, there has been fake and malicious news being spread on the social media platforms and sponsored by the opposition with the intention of misleading members of the public about the performance of the Governor and sounded a note of warning to them.
He said they (the opposition) have resorted to saying things the governor never said just to malign and misrepresent the governor and reminded them of the cyber crime act which may be invoked on their excesses.
“They have resorted to saying things the governor never said or ordinarily would never say because of who he is and what he represents.
“A times they have tried to say things that would pitch the federal government or certain ethnic nationalities in the country against the governor and his administration
“More often than not we have chosen to ignore them in their Macabre dance and past time as harbingers of fake news.
“Let me remind the naysayers that this administration is not averse to constructive criticism. What this government frowns at and including all right thinking and patriotic Abians is the recourse of fake news.
“Let it be put on record that at the outset of this administration the governor promised to bring hope and help to Abians.
“In the last 23 months this administration has given Abians more than hope
He has substantially delivered on a new Abia.
“The state government may not be where it is supposed to be or where it desires to be it is worth to note that in 23 months quite a lot has been done and there is still a lot more to be done given the commitment of this administration.
“So the opposition is so piqued that they couldn’t do in 24 years what this administration has done in 23 months.,” Prince Kanu stated.
The state Information boss informed that as part of the reforms in education sector , the phase two of the teacher training programme has been concluded with about 2,300 teachers across the state receiving training that focused on 21st century competency based learning.
He added that in health, the Abia State College of Health Sciences and Management Technology has received accreditation in some course areas including, Community Health Technology, Public Health Technology, Students Industrial Works (SIWES) and Health Technology.
Prince Kanu said that the Ministry of Power and Public Utilities has completed the installation of 60 kwp solar power project and computer-based training centre at Isialangwa South LGA as a deliberate policy of this same government to spread development across communities in the state.
He added that the Ministry’s ongoing rural water projects in Umuahia North, Isialangwa South and Arochukwu are progressing well.
The Commissioner further announced that on Thursday, this week, the state government would be hosting stakeholders to an Abia State Start -Up Forum in collaboration with the German Organization for International Corporation, adding that the event which would provide opportunity for stakeholders to come together and make input on how the state can promote and encourage technology start-ups would hold at Hotel Royal Damgrete.