The Nigeria Union of Teachers’ (NUT) Enugu State branch has disassociated itself from any kind of protest directed towards Dr. Peter Mbah’s administration.
Comr. Theophilus Nweke, the chairman of NUT in Enugu, briefed journalists in Enugu on Tuesday, March 19, 2024, and stated that it is unacceptable for anyone to consider starting a protest against the current administration, which has only been in office for a little over ten months and has shown that it is prepared to face its challenges.
Nweke claimed that the Mbah administration resolved their three-year dispute with the government by treating their issue, the non-payment of the minimum wage to primary school teachers, with seriousness as soon as they gained office.
“How can any body in good conscience talk about protest against the current administration? When the current administration came in, we met with them and presented our challenges to the Governor who promised to address them.
“True to his word, the Governor quickly set up a committee to look into the issue and on the 10th of November, they submitted their report in which it was recommended that these teachers be paid.
“On 19th February, 2024, the Governor called the leadership of NUT and conveyed his approval for the full implementation of the minimum wage. When February salary came in, the teachers were paid as approved and this was greeted with wild jubilation which you saw on social media.
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“This administration has demonstrated their commitment to our welfare, thus why should we embark on any protest? Does that make any sense to anyone? What exactly should be the reason for the protest,” Comr. Nweke asked.
“As a union, we have laid down procedures of pressing home our demands and we have judiciously followed them. These approaches are yielding the required results. Calling for outright protest has never been part of it and we won’t promote such
Regarding the five teachers who were fired, the union president expressed his surprise, saying that none of the instructors had asked for his or the leadership of the Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board, or ENSUBEB, before acting.
“The five-point requests we made to the Governor are receiving adequate attention, four have already been implemented and the fifth one is underway, therefore, only them can explain the reason for their action.”
In return, he counseled the educators to remain committed to their work, abstain from frivolous activities, and refuse to become willing tools for any individual or organization looking to gain quick notoriety.
