The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Benue State has issued an ultimatum to the state government to pay outstanding allowances which include consolidated enhanced allowances that were removed from May and June 2023 salaries and also meet other demands within 48 hours, or the union will protest across the state and potentially strike.
The union communicated this through a communique signed by the State Chairman, Comrade Terna Akuma and the State Acting Secretary, Comrade Jeremiah Ochonu and issued after an emergency meeting of the State Wing Executive Council.
The union criticized the state government for the manner in which primary school teachers were paid their salaries for May and June 2023, urging the state government to reinstate all teacher promotions that were reversed and to ensure that all arrears are paid in a timely manner.
The union also accused the government of demoting a large number of teachers to salary grades below those they had been receiving since their promotion in 2021. The union claims that the demotions were implemented in February 2022.
The union has also rejected the removal of consolidated enhanced allowances for all professional teachers, which totaled 27% for all grade levels 7-16.
The allowance was approved by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum in 2008 and implemented in Benue State in January 2010.
It called on the state government to release the names of all those removed from the payment vouchers for May and June 2023 to provide clarity on the matter.
The union, however, vowed to peacefully protest in all 23 local government areas of the state if the state government does not meet its demands within the given timeframe.