Oyo Teachers Protest Local Government Autonomy

 Oyo Teachers Protest Local Government Autonomy

Teachers under the aegis of Nigerian Union of Teachers, Oyo State wing yesterday stormed major streets in the state capital, Ibadan, to protest the proposed local government autonomy.
The protesting teachers numbering about 500, insisted that if local government autonomy was imperative for the state and federal governments, payment of primary school teachers as well as the funding and management of the schools at the grassroots level should be taken away from the local government.
The protest rally, which took off at the Agodi state secretariat of the Nigerian Labour Congress was led by the state Chairman, Comrade Niyi Akano in company of the state NLC chairman, Comrade Waheed Olojede and other state executives.
The placard-carrying teachers argued that granting autonomy to the local government in either political, financial or administrative capacity would by implication mean transferring the management, equipping and funding of primary school education to the local government.
According to them, this is a burden which will be too heavy for the third tier of government to bear.
Some of the inscriptions on the placards read: ‘Nigerian Union of Teachers, Oyo State Wing, says no to local government autonomy’, ‘Basic education is a right of every child’, ‘Local government councils do not have the capacity to pay primary school teachers salaries’, ‘Basic education is a right and must be protected by all’ and ‘Foundation of education in Nigeria under threat again’.
Others read: ‘Pay teachers regularly for sustainable primary education’, ‘Our children’s future must be secured’, ‘Funding of primary education should be the responsibility of the state and federal government’.
The state NUT chairman, Comrade Akano said that the rally was not a protest against salary arrears but a fight for the soul of primary education in the state and the country at large.
He said experience had shown that local government lacks the capacity to run and fund primary education effectively particularly based on its sensitivity as the foundation of education.
Also speaking in the same vein, the state NLC chairman who is also the state NUT secretary, Comrade Waheed Olojede maintained that allowing the local governments to take charge of primary school education in the country was a good way of sending the sector back to the woods.
He said teachers, through the umbrella body, would not support local government autonomy in any way.
He recounted that the period between 1990-1994 when LG enjoyed full autonomy presented the worst time for the sector as many teachers were at the mercy of council bosses before getting their salaries and entitlements.

Olojede however said if the federal government insisted in granting autonomy to the local governments, issues such as managing, funding and equipping of the primary schools should be transferred to the state government.