The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has called on its members nationwide to vote for candidates in the forthcoming general election, who are worker-friendly.
The National President, NUT, Comrade Titus Amba made the call at the Union’s Annual Solemn Assembly held on Monday in Abuja.
According to Amba, teachers train all professionals in different fields, but it is surprising that they are the least paid and most relegated in the country.
“I, therefore, urge all our members to vote wisely but should not vote for any candidate that is not worker friendly, no matter the inducement, persuasion or any consideration” he said.
“Remember that your voter cards are your voices and power. Therefore, we cannot afford to be mute in this critical and decisive moment of our nation’s history.
“In most of the developed countries even the developing ones; they place more priority on the welfare of teachers,” he said.
Amba said when one neglected the welfare of teachers certainly one would not get the needed result.
He said that the leadership of the union had increasingly engaged the state government on the issues of N30,000 Minimum Wage and Consequential Adjustments.
Amba said that the Union had also filed a trade dispute with the Registrar of Trade Unions against some non-cooperative state governments.
He reaffirmed the determination of his administration to take the Union to greater heights, through the immense, solid and numerous achievements of his predecessors.
Earlier in his sermon, Imam Muhammad Bin ‘Uthman urged the government at all levels to ensure adequate security for the nation towards better learning conditions.
Bin ‘Uthman said for any nation to be educationally developed, there must be physical and spiritual security, saying that insecurity is a big challenge to national development.
He added that other factors necessary for national development included food security, job opportunity, power supply and quality healthcare system.
Also speaking, Rev. Fr. Nduka Uzo, advised that Nigerians should learn to live together in love and harmony irrespective of their differences.
Uzo encouraged teachers to always come to God in prayers, praises and thanksgiving, saying instead of complaining, they should use the time to ask God for provisions.
He said that being a teacher was a vocation, so they should not give up in the struggle.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the NUT solemn assembly was to commit the leaders, teachers, their welfare and action plan to the hands of God towards an all-around success for the good of the profession and the nation.
(NAN)
