The Nigeria Union of Teachers in Plateau State has kicked against the proposed amendment of the 1999 Constitution on local government autonomy and scrapping of the the LG-state joint account.
The teachers at a press conference addressed on Thursday by Comrade Gunshin Yarlings, explained that they are no longer willing to go through the experience of near total collapse when salaries were owed by the councils for 12 months.
According to Yarlings: “The local government councils never took primary education as a priority, even when their allocation from the Federation Account was increased from 15 to 20 per cent and done to ensure that local government councils comfortably assist the state governments in the payment of teachers’ salaries.
“The period under review was also characterized by the failure to contribute its mandatory 15 per cent of the teachers entitlements to the pension fund meant for the payment of pension and gratuity.
“This led to the non payment of pension and gratuity of some teachers, which led to their untimely death.”
Yarlings added that most of the lucky surviving retirees in Plateau State are still suffering the effect of the neglect by the local governments.
He said the teachers have not forgotten their neglect in the hands of the local government councils, adding: “They diverted their salaries, thereby leaving teachers to wallow in penury and pains.”
According to him, granting of autonomy to local government councils “will amount to the labour of our heroes past in vain”, adding: “The creation of the state joint account was done to reverse the trend of local government councils abuse of teachers.
“Teachers in the state are of the view that the joint account must be scrapped.”