NUT Direct Members To Shun Enrollment Into Edo Govt Pension Scheme

By Patrick Ochoga, Benin City

More troubles for public primary school pupils in Edo State, as the state chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has directed members to shun enrollment into the state government’s contributory pension scheme.

The directive is coming ahead of the scheduled January 18, resumption by all public and private primary and post primary institutions for a second term for the 2021 academic session.

A statement titled, “forceful enrollment into contributory pension scheme”, signed and made available to newsmen in Benin City, by Moni Mike Modesty Itua, Assistant General Secretary of the union weekend said the directive to NUT members remain in force until the union directed otherwise.

Moni Mike, said the decision for public primary school teachers not to enroll into the contributory pension scheme was a follow-up to the resolution of the State Wing Executive Council (SWEC) of the union at its last meeting held on the 29th of December, 2020.

The state wing of NUT had on December 29, 2020 issued a 21-day strike notice to the state government over failure to meet its 10-point demands bordering on poor conditions of service, non-payment of outstanding financial entitlements among others.

“As a follow-up to the resolutions of the State Wing Executive Council (SWEC) of the union at its last meeting held on the 29th of December, 2020; especially on the issue of Contributory Pension Scheme for Primary School Teachers in Edo State, I have been directed to inform all SWEC members, school heads and Primary Schools Teachers in the State not to fill any document having to do with contributory pension scheme.

“Not matter the source of such document, until the union directs otherwise.

“The above directive became inevitable because the two fundamental issues raised by the union as per the CPS have not received Government positive responses”, he said.

He opined that the directive to primary school teachers not to fill any pension document became inevitable as a result of the failure of the state government to address two issues by the union as regards to the scheme.