Nigerian Teachers Threaten To Strike Over New Resumption Date

The Nigerian Union of Teachers, NUT, have
threatened to go on a nationwide strike if the
Federal government does not shift the date of
resumption as well as put in place measures
that would protect their members from
contracting the deadly Ebola virus while
teaching in schools.
Speaking in a telephone interview with Punch,
the National President of the NUT, Michael
Alogba, said the union had taken a decision not
to allow any of its members go into any school
to teach if the eradication of the deadly virus
has not been scientifically and medically
proven.
“In any sane society, decision such
as this will not be taken until the
government and all stakeholders have
met and discussed the issue at stake
and are sure that the nation is
scientifically and medical free from
the scourge.
But this is not the case in our country.
When they arrived at the early October
13 date, they wrote us and we agreed
with their argument but when this
new date was given, they did not
because of the influence of some
powerful school owners who put
pressure on them (Federal
Government) to announce the
September 22 date.
Anyway, we have written to tell them
that if the Federal Government does
not shift the date and provide all
necessary safety measures in schools
before Monday next week, all NUT
leaders will meet in Abuja by 9am on
Tuesday to decide our fate by
ourselves.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Though I don’t want to preempt the
outcome of the meeting but as
teachers who have families and who
should protect our future, I mean our
students, we will shun the classes; we
will call for strike.
What kind of government is this, don’t
they know that children can never be
as hygienic as adults? Don’t they
know that the immunity level of
children is not as high as that of
adults? Why do you want to open
schools when you have not cleared
out the virus; when you still have
about 400 people under surveillance
in Port Harcourt and Lagos? You are
aware of what is happening at the
Obafemi Awolowo University.
How are we sure that there is no
primary or secondary school pupil
that has had contact with an Ebola
patient.
It’s good that the NMA (Nigerian
Medical Association) has spoken and
we have told them too that we would
not cooperate with them.
That is why we are going to take a
drastic action on Tuesday to protect
ourselves and our children.
I can tell you that we will shun
schools; we won’t cooperate with
them.
In other words, we will embark on
strike.” he said
He warned that if by next Monday, September
15th the Federal Government had not extended
the new date, the executive council would meet
by Tuesday 16th September where a drastic
decision would be taken.
Meanwhile after the Federal Executive Council
meeting in Abuja yesterday the Health Minister
said there was no going back on the
resumption date.
According to him, there was no scientific basis
for school resumption date to be postponed
“First unlike other countries, there is no
community transmission of the disease in
Nigeria; not one yet.
But we have taken precautions, what we are
doing, we may as well have said everybody
should just be moving about, but we are taking
precautions.
There is no scientific basis for school
resumption to be postponed. There is no
community transmission of the disease in
Nigeria.

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That is what separates Nigeria from other
countries. It is what I call irrational fear; we
don’t need to be irrational about this.” he said
The Nigerian Medical Association as well as the
House of Representative Committee on
Education have spoken against the new
resumption date.