Lagos Clears Air On Teachers’ Allowances

Governor Babatunde Fashola

Governor Babatunde Fashola

Kazeem Ugbodaga

The Lagos State Government has cleared the air on teachers’ allowances which the teachers claimed were not being paid to them by the government.

At a news conference Thursday in Lagos, southwest Nigeria, Commissioner for Education, Mrs Olayinka Oladunjoye insisted teachers were not angry with Governor Babatunde Fashola over unpaid allowances.

She said with the implementation of the Eko Project, teachers had been trained to give the best to the pupils and students.

According to her, government was working assiduously to meet the demands of the teachers so that they could give their best.

Oladunjoye admitted that the government had not fully paid the balance of the 27.7 percent Teachers Salary Scale, TSS, but noted that government was working assiduously to pay the balance being owed the teachers.

She added that the government was still meeting with the teachers to pay the balance of the teaching allowances, adding that government was determined to ensure that teachers in the state got the best.

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“Teachers are not angry with Fashola, they are happy with us. We are working hand in hand to meet their demands,” she said, adding that the fact that government have outstanding to pay the teachers did not mean that they were not happy with the government.

Oladunjoye added that the issue of leave allowances had been embedded in the consolidated salary structure of the state.

“Government is not unmindful of the critical roles and importance of teachers in the scheme of things. As a matter of fact, our conviction of the pivotal roles of education and in deed our teachers in the development and economic growth of a nation has been our driving force in becoming the model of excellence in the provision of education in Africa,” she said.

“Government is not unmindful of the need to fully pay the 27.5 percent Special Teacher Allowance to its teachders, hence government is working assiduously with a view to paying the balance to its teachers soonest.

“Government therefore craves the understanding of its teachers on this, bearing in mind that government will not hesitate to pay the balance of the allowance as soon as possible,” she added.

Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Aderemi Ibirgoba said government had a good relationship with the teachers and would do nothing to hurt their feelings but to provide the best services for them.

The state Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, Segun Raheem, who attended the media briefing, told journalists that he was satisfied with efforts being made by  the Lagos State Government improve the welfare of teachers in the state.

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