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Reps summon Adamu over non-payment of salaries of unity colleges’ teachers

By Adamu Abuh (Abuja) and Isaac Taiwo (Lagos)
10 July 2017   |   4:35 am
The House of Representatives has summoned the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu over the non-payment of some unity colleges’ salary arrears.

Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu

•Aregbesola blames salary arrears on economic downturn
The House of Representatives has summoned the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu over the non-payment of some unity colleges’ salary arrears.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Basic Education, Zakari Mohammed, disclosed this yesterday in Abuja.

He said the affected colleges, which recently called off their strike, deserved to be paid their salaries and allowances.

Mohammed said he would leave no stone unturned in ensuring that the colleges live up to the dreams of the founding fathers.

He promised the aggrieved teachers that the committee would ensure that their outstanding salaries and allowances were paid.

“We have already dispatched a letter to the minister, inviting him to appear before us and to also give him the mandate to look for funds to pay them, so that academic activities could resume as soon as possible,” he said.

Mohammed explained that funds were set-aside in the 2017 budget to ensure that perimeter fencing is erected in 83 of the 109 Unity schools to prevent kidnappers, terrorists and trespassers from gaining access.

He condemned the abuse of the one per cent deduction from the consolidated revenue with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) to fund education.

He added that his committee has commenced a nationwide oversight tour to ensure that states that accessed the fund make judicious use of them.

Mohammed commended the reintroduction of history in the school curriculum, noting that the measure would equip the upcoming generation with the knowledge of the past to ensure a united nation.

Meanwhile, the Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola has blamed economic downturn for the non-payment of workers salaries in the state.

He disclosed this at St. Matthew’s Anglican Church, Ila-Orangun when he attended the third Synod of Osun North East Diocese of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion).

The theme of the synod, which was also attended by his deputy, Mrs. Titilayo Laoye-Tomori was, “Did God Say So? A re-thinking of prophecies in the 21st Century Nigeria.”

He said: “It is not for want of love, kindness and appreciation of welfare of workers that we have not been able to fully pay the salaries and emoluments of workers. It was the abnormality that befell our economy since 2013, particularly in meeting the salaries, allowances and pensions of active and passive workers in the state.

“We are calling for prayer from everybody for God to empower our nation and strengthen the economy, so that we can go back to where we started from.

He urged youths to engage in farming as the era of free money has gone.

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