JULY 18, 2014
Scores of secondary school teachers in Ogun State on Thursday stormed the office of the Chairman of the State Teaching Service Commission at Oke Mosan, Abeokuta, and staged a peaceful protest.
Their grouse was that the state government’s policy had badly affected their careers for nine years.
The protesting teachers, who demanded to meet the state governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, also held the personnel of the state TESCOM office hostage for several hours and paralysed activities in the office.
The president of the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools in the state, Mr. Tunde Folarin, led the protest.
They accused the state government of reneging on the agreements earlier reached with them only to evolve what they described as “obnoxious career progression and adjustment” policy.
They also noted that it was retrogressive for those teachers who had National Certificate of Education at entry point, but had acquired higher degrees, to forfeit nine years of their service years.
The protesting teachers added that the policy introduced by the state government has given opportunities for majority of their juniors in schools and service to become principals at their respective schools, stressing that such development was demoralising.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mrs Olabisi Akinnuga, appealed to the protesters to exercise patience over their demands since the TESCOM chairman, Ms Bukola Onabanjo, was not available.
Akinnuga said she had only signed the letter informing the agitating teachers that they would only forfeit six years and not nine years as argued by them.
The teachers, however, proceeded to the governor’s office within the secretariat complex where they were addressed by the Secretary to the State Government , Adeoluwa Taiwo.
The SSG also pleaded with the protesting teachers to exercise patience, promising that the state government would be meeting their leadership on the matter next week.
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