NASU Decries Exclusion From New Salary Package For Teachers In Primary, Secondary Schools

The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) has lamented the exclusion of its members from the new salary package for teachers in primary and post-primary schools in the country.

President, Schools and Colleges Trade Group Council of NASU, Haruna Kamara, who decried the development at the regular meeting of the group, said the step would ensure the retention of the best and most skilled teachers in the industry.

He said there is an urgent need to extend the same package and incentives to non-teaching colleagues, who essentially render the needed support service that eases the act of imparting sound knowledge.

Kamara argued that some non-teaching staff are professional in their callings and are academically more qualified than some teachers.

Karama noted that if the dichotomy is not quickly corrected, it could cause division and disquiet in the primary and post-primary sub-section.

In his welcome address, Dr Tso Zakari, who spoke on behalf of the FCT branches’ chairmen, lauded the management team for improving staff welfare.

He added that the education sector has never had it this good, especially in the area of staff welfare.

He said in the FCT, promotions are not only promptly conducted but also promptly implemented while other staff entitlements and incentives are never overlooked by this administration as well as training and capacity building for staff in the education sector.

He appealed to the FCT Minister, Muhammad Bello, to include non-teaching staff in the planned implementation of the elongation of the years of service of teachers to 65 years and 35 years in service.

Meanwhile, a former Minister of Education, Ibrahim Shekarau, has identified a lack of trust for unending strikes in universities.

Shekarau said the government must engage protesting unions in meaningful and sincere negotiations for the sake of the students who are stranded at home.

He cautioned the government against embarking on frivolous expenditures and guide its officials from indulging in unmitigated corruption while painting different realities to the unions during negotiations.

In his intervention at the meeting, the NASU general secretary, Peters Adeyemi, foreclosed early reopening of universities, saying there is no dialogue going on between the four university unions and Federal Government.

Adeyemi said the tripartite meeting chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof Ibrahim Gambari, has achieved very little so far.