Salary Arrears: NUT Stands By Claim That Osun Govt Owes Teachers 28 Months Arrears

By Ayobami Agboola, Osogbo

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Osun chapter on Friday faulted the statement released by the state government on Wednesday, denying owing teachers in the state 28 months salary arrears, stating that the NUT President statement that the state owes 28 months salary arrears stands.

Mr Amudah Wakeel, the Osun NUT Chairman, made the union stance known to newsmen in Osogbo while reacting to the state government’s release on the salary arrears.

Wakeel said contrary to the counter statement credited to the Statistician-General of the state, Prof. Wasiu Gbolagade, that the state was not owing teachers 28 months salary arrears but modulated salaries, the arrears owe is in half months of 28 months which equals 14 months full salary.

He said, “the government owed teachers in the state an outstanding of the modulated salaries” for 28 months which will amounts to 14 months of full salary.”

He explained that all the teachers on levels eight and above were placed on modulated salaries, a payment arrangement where workers in the state, including the teachers, from levels eight to ten are paid 75 percent of their salaries and those on levels ten and above are paid 50 percent of their salaries.

“In 2015, government paid full salaries up to June, while arrears of July to August was paid last year, 2017 but the balance of the remaining half salaries of four months from 2015 are yet to be paid.

“In year 2016 half salary was paid from January to December indicating that 12 month arrears of half salaries remained to be paid”.

“In 2017, half salary was paid from January to November, meaning that, 11 half salaries were yet to be paid because full salary was paid in December.

“On the whole, 27 months arrears of half salary were yet to be paid,” he explained Wakeel who said that no labour in Osun signed half salaries agreement, urged the state government to pay the outstanding of the modulated salaries with immediate effect since it has promised to do so.

It would be recalled that the Osun Statistician-General on Wednesday released a statement debunking media reports credited to NUT President, Mr Alogba Olukoya, that Osun tops the list of states owing teachers salaries in the country.

The Statistician-General said that the claim that the state was owing her teachers 28 months half salaries was inaccurate and totally at variance with the situation of things in the state.

He said bulk of the teachers in the state falls within a salary category that get their full monthly salary and allowances under the state modulated salary arrangement, that only a minor population that falls within levels 12 to 17 are owed half salary arrears