The Oyo State wing of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) today (Monday) commenced an indefinite strike due to delay in payment of salaries of primary school teachers and other requests. The union said the strike became necessary due to the inability of the state government to meet its demands. The union last week had issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the Oyo State Government to clear and settle the backlogs of salaries owed its members.

NUT Chairman, Comrade Z.T Adedoyin and Secretary, Comrade N.M. Abdullahi, in a joint statement issued after a meeting of the union, lamented over complementary allowances of promotions of the teachers.

The union also listed issues worrying the members of the union as non-implementation of the approval and accompany promotion benefits to the primary school teachers by the Oyo State Joint Account Allocation Committee (JAAC), delay in payment of salary to primary school teachers, delay in the promotion of grade level 14 to 15, continued withholding of 2018 leave grant and delay in the clearance of teachers allegedly accused of illegal promotion.

The teachers said that they were commencing the strike today because, efforts made by the state government to persuade the teachers, met brick walls. Reports claim that the state government had invited the leaders of the union to a parley on May 15 but no deal was reached.

The NUT acknowledged that its leadership met with the state Head of Service and the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs on May 15 during which both government functionaries made passionate appeal to them to shelve the proposed strike. The union, however, but stated that their appeal could not change anything because none of their demands was met.

The teachers are downing tools over delay in the promotion of primary school teachers from salary grade level 14 to 15, as well as delay in payment in payment of salary of primary school teachers.