By Dare Akogun
The Kwara State Wing of the Nigeria Union of Teachers has absolved the Kwara State Government from a purported illegal deduction from teachers salary under the State Teaching Service Commission, TESCOM, for the month of September, 2022.
This was contained in a statement issued on Saturday and jointly signed by the State Chairman Comrade Oyewo Bashiru and State Secretary -Moni Mike Modesty and copies made available to newsmen in Ilorin.
The statement states the attention of the State Leadership of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Kwara State Wing has been drawn to complaints by some Public School Teachers in the State to the effect that a purported illegal deduction as Check-Off Dues in the month of September, 2022 to the union from the salaries of teachers in the employment of Kwara State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM).
It added that the negative insinuations and statements aimed at disparaging the images of the Kwara State Government and the Union; as consequences from the alleged illegal deductions, are now being circulated.
The statement revealed that the said check off dues deduction was in line with the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment approved NUT Constitution amendments in 2014, wherein the monthly payable Check-Off Dues by members was increased from 2 percent to 3 percent of members Monthly Basic/Consolidated Salaries.
It further stated that this has been implemented across the federation and FCT since 2014 except in Kwara state, which has been maintaining a 1.39 percentage deduction that is at variance with the law, but unknown to the state government.
The statement said the directive to effect and comply with the new approved rate which has been in existence since 2014 was given by the headquarters of the NUT, which mandated the NUT State Leadership to liaise with the state government to ensure what is due to the Union is correctly deducted.
It added that the follow-up action to the directives of the NUT National Headquarters, led to the State Government’s correction of the age-long anomaly in the September 2022 payrolls of teachers under TESCOM; which will eventually cascade to teachers under the employment of SUBEB.
Excerpts from the statement says:
“That in the year 2014, the Federal Ministry of Labour, Employment and Productivity approved a Constitution Amendment for the Union wherein the monthly Check-Off Dues payable by members was increased from 2 kobo per Naira (2%) to 3 Kobo per Naira (3%) of members Monthly Basic/Consolidate Salaries as inherently contained in Article 11 (b) of the Union’s Constitution (2014) as amended”
“That since year 2014, employers of Public School Teachers (who are empowered by the relevant Sections of Trade Union Laws in Nigeria), in the States of the Federation and the FCT, EXCEPT Kwara State, implemented and have continued to implement the 3Kobo per Naira (3%) rate as monthly Check-Off Dues for the NUT in their States and FCT”.
“That in Kwara State, a rate of 1.39%, (less than the 2Kobo per Naira (2%) that existed before 2014) instead of the present 3Kobo per Naira (3%) has been in operation, thereby making Kwara State, the only State in the Federation that was not in compliance with the provisions of the Labour Laws of Nigeria; though unknown to the State Government”.
“That the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) National Headquarters, Abuja, carried out an investigation on the compliance level by States in respect of the 3Kobo per Naira deductions and discovered that Kwara State Wing Teachers were yet to do the needful after Nine (9) years of the existence of the new rate; and ordered the State Wing to liaise with the State Government through the Office of the Head of Service (HoS) and State Controller, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Kwara State Office to have the anomaly rectified”.
“That the follow-up action to the directives of the NUT National Headquarters by the State Wing, led to the State Government’s correction of the age-long anomaly in the September 2022 payrolls of teachers under TESCOM; which will eventually cascade to teachers under the employment of SUBEB”
The statement maintained that the incorrect applications of NUT 3 percent Check-Off Dues before now, has been robbing the Union at the National, State and Local Government Branches of their lawful membership financial entitlements and is also fatally affecting the Union’s financial Standings with NLC, ITUC, E.I Global, E.I Africa and many other international trade Union organisations that the NUT is affiliated to.
The NUT thereafter apologized to Kwara State Government for the embarrassment the false narratives has caused and appealed to the teachers to show understanding and maintain peace and order as far as the implementation of the 3 percent Check-Off Dues is concerned.
” We respectfully apologize to His Excellency, Mallam AbdulRasaq AbdulRahman, the Executive Governor of Kwara State for the ill comment(s) that must have been made by our members against Government in respect of this issue”.
