NUT urges Reps to probe private schools for alleged ‘modern day slavery

The Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, has called on the House of Representatives to beam its searchlight on private schools indulging in “modern day slavery” under the guise of employment.

This was even as the NUT warned state governments dithering on the payment of teachers’ salaries to discontinue the act or face the wrath of the union.

President of NUT, Comrade Michael Olukoya, speaking in Abuja during its 2016 National Solemn Assembly and Prayers, an annual forum where Christian and Muslim clerics come together to pray for the union and government, had noted that the national union would continue to support industrial actions in states where its members were being maltreated.

According to him, since the House of Representatives have threatened to picket foreign firms over their harsh anti-labour policies, the legislators should first descendon private schools in Nigeria “because charity begins athome.”

He said: “The House of Representatives should beam their search light on those Nigerians that are operating modern day slavery by way of recruitment and appointment.

“The House of Representative private schools who don’t pay minimum wage and do not respect our labour laws, be they locally owned or owned by foreigners.

The way they treat graduates in private schools is very disappointing. “There is no future, no stability, no salaries, and pensions are not there.

You cannot even question the owners on something that should ordinarily be an interaction. We can’t just sit down here and believe that things are working well.

Enough of modern day slavery.“That was why we were very happy when the House of Representatives rose up that they want to go and fight Lebanese and Indian employers.

Charity begins at home; there is nobody in Nigeria who has ruled this country in the past that is not having schools. Even religious leaders who came in the name of evangelism are niversity owners.”

The NUT President stressed that although he may not be able to ascertain the statistics of unemployed teachers in Nigeria, it has been common knowledge that Universities and Colleges of Education, on yearly basis churn out qualified teachers “who, up till tomorrow, have not been employed.”

He said, “Since the opportunity avails itself, we have decided to ask on their behalf because this is their opportunity.“Don’t forget that the NUT is both an aluta and a professional organisation.

We owe it as a responsibilityto advise our government, especially a government thatis coming with a mantra of positive change and correcting anomalies to engage qualified teachers.

“There are some states in this country they pay their salary as they like, as a general warning we want to warn all states that are paying half salary or that are paying as they like to stop it before we ask all these states to make their respective states ungovernable.”

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