The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has threatened to direct its members to embark on a nationwide indefinite strike if the proposed local government autonomy and scrapping of the State Joint Local Government Account sail through in the ongoing constitutional amendment.

NUT’s National President, Comrade Michael Olukoya, who briefed newsmen at the end of the NEC meeting at its headquarters in Abuja, insisted that granting of LG autonomy would lead to total collapse of primary education in Nigeria.

He urged the governors and members of State Houses of Assembly to stoutly resist the recommendation of the National Assembly in the recent proposed scrapping of the State Joint LG Accounts as contained in the Bill for an Act to further alter the provision of the 1999 Constitution.

Olukoya said the implication of the LG autonomy was that payment of teachers’ salaries, pension contributory funds and payment of retirees would be left in the hands of Local Councils.

According to him, the development would be a great setback to the efforts by the Federal and State Governments to revamp primary education in the country.

He said: “The moment the constitutional amendment process is concluded against the wishes of the Nigerian teachers, we shall direct all schools in Nigeria to remain closed.

“The mother of all strikes shall commence; because we have a responsibility to protect and defend our members.”

NUT President lamented that the children of the poor who are the majority voters have been denied access to quality education while the children of public officials who formulate various policies leading to the decay being experienced today are sent overseas.

He said the sad memory of the near-total-collapse of Primary Education between 1990 and 1994 when Primary Education came under the control of the LGs, was still very fresh.

“At that time, the local government allocation from the Federation Account was increased from 15% to 20% to ensure that local councils comfortably assist the State Governments in the payment of salaries of the primary school teachers.

“Unfortunately, primary education was never in the priority list of the LG Councils as virtually all of them resorted to owning the teachers their salaries for upwards of 6 to 12 months continuously.

“Expectedly, the situation attracted incessant strikes from the deprived teachers which heralded a near total collapse of Primary Education in Nigeria.

“The effect of that is still hunting the entire education sector till date,” he said.

Olukoya insisted that granting of LG autonomy would spell doom for primary education nationwide and increase the hopelessness of poor Nigerians who would not have the opportunity of going abroad to receive quality education.

•Adapted from The Nation. Photo shows NUT National President, Comrade Michael Olukoya.

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