The leadership of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Ebonyi State Council and chairmen of the six local government areas where the union declared indefinite strike action have continued to bicker over the strike action which halted primary education in the affected local governments.
The leadership of the union had declared an indefinite strike action in the six local government areas of Edda, Ezza South, Ezza North, Ivo, Ishielu and Ohaukwu.
The union maintained that the strike action was as a result of non-payment of three months salaries to some teachers in the affected local government area.
Reacting to the strike action, the chairman of Edda local government area of Ebonyi State, Hon. Chima Ekumankama said that the ongoing indefinite industrial action is aimed at frustrating the ongoing verification exercise of local government workers in the state.
Hon. Ekumankama said that his local government area is not owing any teachers, adding that those who have been verified and confirmed as genuine teachers in the local government have all been paid up to date.
He noted that the verification exercise is aimed at ascertaining the number of genuine and active workers in the local government area adding that the aim is to fish out ghost workers amongst the local government staff in the different local government areas of the state.
He pleaded with NUT in Edda LGA not to join the people at the state level whom he said were playing politics with the ongoing verification exercise.
Similarly, the chairman of Ebonyi LGA, Barr. Chinedu Uburu said that all the teachers in the local government have been paid.
“There is no local government that is owing teachers’ salaries in the state. All the teachers that presented themselves for the verification exercise have been paid.
“Through the exercise, we uncovered that there are individuals who have died since 2019 that are still receiving salaries. We are taking a holistic step to fish out ghost workers in the local government and there is no level of propaganda that will deter us,” he said.
But in a swift reaction, the union secretary, Bassey Asuquo challenged the council chairmen to provide evidence of the up-to-date payment they have made adding that the strike action would continue until all the issues were resolved.
