News Investigators/ The Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Kebbi Chapter, has commended Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris for what it described as far-reaching reforms and sustained investments in the education sector.
The Chairman of the union, Zaki Sarki, made the commendation while addressing newsmen in Birnin Kebbi on Thursday.
Mr Sarki praised the governor for approving the extension of teachers’ retirement age from 60 to 65 years, “translating to an increase in years of service from 35 to 40.
“Mr Idris deserve commendation for his magnanimity and foresight in extending the retirement age of teachers, which has boosted morale and job security in the sector.”
Mr Sarki also lauded the increase in the state’s school feeding programme allocation from N250 million to N350 million monthly, describing it as a significant intervention that would enhance pupils’ enrolment, retention and overall wellbeing.
“The Kebbi Contributory Health Management Agency (KECHEMA), in collaboration with the state government, has since commenced the enrolment of teachers into its health insurance scheme to improve their health status, thereby boosting service delivery,” he said.
Mr Sarki further noted that the state government had embarked on massive renovation of schools across Kebbi.
He added that Mega Schools had been established in all the four Emirates to promote access to modern and conducive learning environments.
“Education is clearly a priority for this administration, even as the government attends to other competing needs. The efforts are steady and progressive,” he added.
Also speaking, the Secretary of the union, Alhaji Gazali Hassan-Maccido, urged members of the public to desist from spreading misinformation on salary issues without adequate knowledge of the system.
He explained that staff of the 21 Local Government Education Authorities (LGEAs) in the state receive their salaries through the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, under the supervision of the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB).
“The NUT is mandated by the 1976 Labour Act to handle welfare issues of teachers in both primary and secondary schools.
“So far, we have not received any formal complaint from any teacher regarding salary shortfalls,” Hassan-Maccido said.
He noted that teachers’ earnings had improved compared to two years ago, stressing that misconceptions often arose from confusion between gross and net salaries.
“Salary deductions are statutory and well-known to workers. Some teachers have loan obligations, and when alerts come in, they sometimes ignore deductions and rush to social media with misleading claims,” he said.
Hassan-Maccido commended the governor for approving salary increments across all categories of workers in the state.
He also acknowledged the presence of unqualified teachers inherited from previous administrations, noting that Gov. Idris had chosen capacity building over mass disengagement.
“Some teachers have only Senior Secondary School Certificates, but instead of sacking them, the governor introduced training programmes to upgrade their skills and integrate them properly into the teaching profession,” he said.
The secretary reaffirmed the commitment of NUT to constructive engagement with the state government to further strengthen education delivery across the state.
NAN
