Niger State Teachers Social Security Scheme (alias Endwel) has paid entitlements to the tune of N877,626,727,000 to 12,782 retired, deceased (received by their next of kin) and transferred teachers from its inception over 20 years ago.
Chairman, Niger NUT, Mohammed Akayago, disclosed that Endwel was established to fulfil one of the objectives of the constitutional provision of the union, having considered the plight of teachers after retirement.
Akayago noted that the NUT-nurtured scheme birthed various investments impacting positively on the lives of teachers and the general public.
According to him, the scheme has been faced with the challenges of non-deduction of subscription/loan repayment from secondary school subscribers as a result of the state government’s directives for stoppage of third-party deductions, adding that funds of the scheme and some local councils’ Endwel cooperatives were still withheld by the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).
The NUT boss appealed to the state government to direct relevant authorities to resume the Endwel deductions of monthly subscription/loan repayment of secondary school teachers and refund the withheld monies to the scheme/ cooperatives.
Earlier, the Principal Assistant Secretary General of Niger NUT, Labaran Garba, enumerated some landmark successes recorded by the scheme, including NUT Endwel Model School, two estates, Endwel Plaza, the ongoing hotel structure, undeveloped plots of land, among others.
Garba further stated that the scheme disbursed N2.5 billion to the beneficiaries.
Governor Muhammad Bago, in his address, emphasised the need for a special loan package for teachers that would enable them to upgrade their standards academically.
The governor, represented by the Commissioner for Basic Education, Dr Hadiza Mohammed, had ruled out automatic promotion of teachers in the state; hence, the need for teachers to upgrade themselves educationally.
Bago promised to improve teachers’ wages.
Former governor of Niger, Dr Mu’azu Aliyu, had claimed that in the entire Northern Nigeria no state had 50 per cent qualified teachers.
He said the majority of the teachers, who seek better jobs, abandon teaching when they get it.
