The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), on Monday called for the suspension of the ongoing West African Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), News About Nigeria reports.
This, according to the union, is because it is fully participating in the ongoing nationwide strike of the organised labour across the country.
According to the Secretary General of NUT, Dr Mike Ike-Ene, their decision to fully participate in the strike despite the ongoing WASSCE examination is because teachers in Nigeria are the worst hit in earning ridiculous salaries.
He further noted that despite the appeal by the Head of the Nigeria National Office of the West African Examinations Council, Dr Amos Dangut, that teachers be exempted from the strike to enable the Council to conduct the ongoing examination without disruptions, the NUT is determined to join the strike because WAEC does not pay teachers.
He said, “Let WASSCE find its level, they only give stipends to teachers, they don’t pay us. You cannot say you will be loyal to someone who only pays you. If WASSCE will not hold, let it be, we are not serious at all in the country. I issued a letter over the weekend instructing all our members to participate in the strike. We are fully engaged because we have been severely impacted. Are you aware that some Local Government Areas have not paid the N30,000 minimum wage?
“Additionally, Borno State has failed to meet the minimum wage requirement of N18,000; in Sokoto and some other places in the north people are still going home with N12,000. We are fully committed to the directive until a new minimum wage is established. We have communicated this directive clearly to our members.”
