Imo teachers want govt to clear pension arrears

October 05, 2012 17:15

NAN-H-98

Pension

Owerri, Oct. 5, 2012 (NAN) The Chairman of the Imo wing of the NUT, Dr Cletus Okeke, has called on the state government to clear the nine months of pension arrears owed primary school teachers.

Okeke made the call in an address at the 2012 World Teachers’ Day celebration in Owerri on Friday.

He said that primary school teachers who retired from 1994 till date were still owed pension, adding that the harmonisation of their pensions was also pending.

``These retired colleagues of ours feel dejected and unaccepted by the society they used their useful lives to serve.

``They are owed pension arrears of upwards of nine months and worse still their pensions are not harmonised as some of them earn as low as N4,000 a month,” he said.

He called on Gov. Rochas Okorocha to come to the rescue of the teachers.

Okeke commended the governor for transforming the state schools and for the construction of 305 model schools in the local government councils.

He also lauded the governor for the payment of outfit allowance to teachers in the state and the approval for the disbursement of N200,000 each to primary and secondary schools and the provision of school uniforms to the children.

The NUT boss, however, requested for the allocation of land to be developed as a teachers’ village to reduce the accommodation difficulties faced by the teachers.

Other demands included the involvement of the union in decisions on issues affecting education and teachers, recruitment of additional 2,000 teachers in key subject areas and the appointment of teachers into positions of trust and responsibility.

Responding, Okorocha commended the teachers for the successful celebration of the World Teachers’ Day and re-iterated his determination to lift the standard of education in the state.

The governor was represented by the state’s Commissioner for Education, Prof. Adaobi Obasi. (NAN)

CEO/MVO