The Ebonyi State Government on Friday refuted reports that teachers in some Local Government Areas of the state are being owed salaries by their respective councils.
The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Ebonyi State Wing on Thursday declared an indefinite strike.
The strike in seven LGAs of the state was over “unpaid three months salary arrears”.
The LGAs are: Edda, Ebonyi, Ezza South, Ezza North, Ivo, Ishielu and Ohaukwu.
The state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Jude Okpor, told newsmen during the weekly State Executive Council meeting briefing that the issue was being misconstrued.
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Okpor noted that the bone of contention was not nonpayment of salaries, but deductions from the salaries remitted to the teachers’ parent bodies.
Ge said: “When you watch videos of stakeholders’ visit to schools in affected LGAs, you will see the teachers affirming that they are not owed salaries.
“They admit to have been instructed to embark on the strike because of the outstanding issues.”
The Commissioner remarked that the government only insisted to know what the deductions from the teachers’ salaries were meant for.
Okpor added: “These are public funds and if deducted from the funds of the council, should have been accounted for.
“That is the disagreement and we cannot be blackmailed for insisting on deviating from the practice of the past.”
Prof. Paul Nwobashi, the state Commissioner for Education, said during the briefing that steps were being taken to amicably resolve the issue.
Nwobashi said: “We would be meeting with the state Chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), the council chairmen, organised labour and NUT over the issue.
“The issue is when you say that the deductions have been paid back to the owners, show evidence.”
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