The Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) in Ebonyi State has declared an indefinite strike in seven local government areas due to the non-payment of three months’ salaries to some teachers. The affected areas include Ebonyi, Edda, Ezza South, Ezza North, Ivo, Ishielu, and Ohaukwu.
In a statement released on Thursday, the union’s secretary, Bassey Asuquo, noted that despite previous notices and warnings, some local government chairmen have failed to clear the outstanding wages of affected teachers. The union had earlier monitored the level of compliance with salary payments and found that while some areas had settled their debts, others had not.
“As of the close of work today, February 5, 2025, we acknowledge that certain local government areas have cleared the salaries of our members. However, we regret to inform you that several local government chairmen have failed to clear the backlog of our members’ outstanding salaries,” the statement read.
As a result, the union decided to take action by shutting down schools in the affected areas. NUT leaders in these local governments have been instructed to strictly enforce the strike. Teachers in the affected LGAs are expected to withdraw from their duties starting at midnight on February 6, 2025.
The statement further instructed branch officers to ensure full compliance by setting up picket lines and monitoring the situation closely. The union noted that it will not back down until all outstanding payments are made.
“The failure of local government chairmen to meet their obligations to our members is unacceptable,” the statement added. “We call on all members to remain steadfast and continue their support for the strike action.”
