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🇳🇬 Nigeria /Culture & Society

Kogi teachers demand restoration of special allowance, urge action on school security

From The Punch · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Kogi State teachers are demanding the restoration of a suspended 27.5% Teachers' Special Allowance, citing it as a key incentive agreed upon in a Collective Bargaining Agreement.
  • The Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) also raised concerns about increasing attacks on schools and urged the government to enhance security for teachers and students.
  • ASUSS commended the state government for maintaining industrial harmony and introducing a health insurance scheme, while also calling for the recruitment of more teachers to address shortages.

Teachers in Kogi State are urging the government to reinstate the suspended 27.5% Teachers' Special Allowance, a benefit they say was established through a valid Collective Bargaining Agreement. The Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) argues that restoring this allowance is crucial for boosting teacher morale and demonstrating the government's commitment to quality education.

The union also voiced serious concerns over a rise in attacks on schools and surrounding communities, warning that the safety of both educators and students is under threat. ASUSS called for immediate government and security agency action to strengthen school security through proactive intelligence, community involvement, and rapid response measures. They stressed that schools, as centers of learning, should never be targets of criminal activity.

Its restoration will greatly improve teachers’ morale and further demonstrate Government’s commitment to quality education.

— Emejeh SundayStating the importance of restoring the Teachers' Special Allowance.

Despite these pressing issues, ASUSS acknowledged Governor Usman Ododo's administration for its efforts in sustaining industrial harmony, improving state security, and fostering a cordial relationship with the workforce. The union also praised the introduction of the Kogi State Health Insurance Scheme. However, they appealed for a review of the current payment pattern for gratuities, noting that retirees deserve more substantial and regular payments. Furthermore, ASUSS highlighted an acute shortage of teachers in public secondary schools, which is increasing the workload on existing staff and impacting effective teaching. They called for the immediate recruitment of qualified teachers to fill these vacancies and proposed a motorcycle loan scheme for those in rural areas.

Schools are centres of learning and should never become targets of criminal activities. We call on Government and all security agencies to strengthen security around schools through proactive intelligence gathering, community participation and rapid security response.

— Emejeh SundayAddressing the rising attacks on schools and calling for enhanced security measures.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Punch in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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