21st December, 2011
The Akwa Ibom State government has threatened to discipline teachers who embarked on illegal strike on Monday in the state.
Mrs Theresa Ekon, the Permanent Secretary of the State Universal Basic Education (SUBEB), disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Uyo.
She said the board had paid the salaries and allowances of the teachers up to November, adding that the only month remaining was December.
“And the board had almost finished arrangement to pay December salaries, which would be made in the next few days.â€
The leadership of the state branch of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) had threatened to embark on a strike last week but called it off when they confirmed that the payment had been made but some teachers went on strike on Monday, 19 December.
Ekon said the teachers should go to their banks as their salaries had been paid “and those who were not convinced were free to come to the board to see the voucher used in lodging primary school teachers’ salaries.
“Those on strike acted on their own as the leadership of the NUT is not party to it and those caught will definitely face disciplinary committee and will be punished.
Meanwhile, the state’s Secretary of the NUT, Mr Samuel Umoinyang, confirmed that the union was not on strike, adding that those teachers who went on strike had their reasons which the branch was not in support of.
He said that “although government still owes us some allowances, we are not embarking on strike for now.â€