Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki has reiterated the importance of revamping the state’s basic education structure to his administration’s developmental policy, assuring that the sector would receive adequate funding.
Represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr. Taiwo Akerele, the governor gave the assurance while addressing members of Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), who staged a protest to Edo Government House in Benin.
Obaseki explained that the primary school teachers’ demands and requests were in line with the government’s plans for basic education in the state.
He disclosed that the appointment of a Special Adviser on education was to portray the present administration’s determination to remodel educational system in the state.
Acting Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Mallam Alli Sulayman, in his remarks noted that the state government was trying to restructure the existing condition of the education sector, while also calling on the teachers to support the government in accomplishing the task.
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Sulayman suggested that if autonomy was granted to LG councils, the funding of primary school teachers should be removed from their control.
NUT Chairman, Edo State chapter, Comrade Loggle Iyalomhe, said the protest was to kick against the perceived plan to pass full control of primary school funding to local government authorities by granting them autonomy.
Iyalomhe said that the protest was nation-wide and had held in five states of the federation, pointing out that the major agitation at the state level was sustained funding for primary education and payment of Leave Transport Grant (LTG) for 2015 to 2016.
“We are saying no to LGs handling the funding of primary education, we want the state government to do so because if the LGs are in charge it will lead to the collapse of the sector.
“The Federal government can also embrace the first line charge policy where emoluments of primary school teachers would be deducted straight from the Federal allocation and paid to the teachers,” he concluded.
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