Edo NUT directs members to shun enrollment into pension scheme
By Ozioruva Aliu and Gabriel Enogholase – Benin City
The simmering crisis between the Edo State branch of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and the State government bordering on their welfare has taken a new twist as the leadership of the teacher’s union has directed its members to shun enrollment into the state government’s contributory pension scheme.
The directive is coming ahead of the scheduled January 18, 2021, resumption date by all public and private primary and post-primary institutions in the State for a second term for the 2021 Academic Session.
A statement titled, “forceful enrollment into contributory pension scheme”, signed and made available to newsmen in Benin City, by the Assistant General Secretary of the union, Moni Itua, said the directive to NUT members remain in force until the union directed otherwise adding that the decision for public primary school teachers not to enrol into the contributory pension scheme was a follow-up to the resolution of the State Wing Executive Council (SWEC) of the union at its last meeting held on the 29th of December, 2020.
He insisted that the decision for public primary school teachers not to enrol into the contributory pension scheme was a follow-up to the resolution of the State Wing Executive Council (SWEC) of the union at its last meeting held on the 29th of December, 2020.
Recall that the State wing of the NUT had on December 29, 2020, issued a 21-day strike notice to the state government over failure to meet its 10-point demands bordering on poor conditions of service, non-payment of outstanding financial entitlements among others.
He said, “As a follow-up to the resolutions of the State Wing Executive Council (SWEC) of the union at its last meeting held on the 29th of December, 2020; especially on the issue of Contributory Pension Scheme for Primary School Teachers in Edo State, I have been directed to inform all SWEC members, school heads and Primary Schools Teachers in the state not to fill any document having to do with the contributory pension scheme.
“No matter the source of such document members should not fill it until the union directs otherwise.
“The above directive becomes inevitable because the two fundamental issues raised by the union as per the Contributing Pension Scheme have not received Government positive responses”.