NUT defies court order, continues strike in Edo

For the second day, public schools in Edo State remained shut as the  State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), on Tuesday, defied the National Industrial Court order which restrained it from embarking on strike action.

The strike which commenced on Monday, January 18 disrupted academic activities across the state, leaving pupils of government-owned schools stranded who were supposed to resume on that day for the second term.

The National Industrial Court sitting in Benin City had, on Monday, in Suit No. NICN/BEN/04/202 filed by the state government and the Edo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) restrained the union from proceeding on any strike action in public primary schools throughout the state.

But the Assistant Secretary-General, Comrade Moni Mike Modesty Itua, justified the strike, insisting that at the close of work, on Monday, that the union had not been served court papers.

“The union is not aware of any court order. It was yet to be served any court order. As far as the union is concern the indefinite strike action is still in force. The indefinite strike action continues indefinitely,” he said.

In spite of the restraining court order, teachers on the second day of the strike failed to resume at their various schools visited by our reporter in Benin City, the Edo State capital.

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It was observed that the officials of the Public Works Volunteer (PUWOV) were deployed to man schools across the state.

In the Edo State capital of Benin City, teachers were yet to go back to work despite the court order.

At Emokpae Model primary school, along Mission Road, Benin, the school, just like on Monday when the strike started, the cut was devoid of the normal hustling and bustling of academic activities as the teachers were yet to call off the ongoing strike.

Few staffs suspected to be those of the local government education authority and the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) were sighted in the school with few pupils in a classroom as well as officials of the Public Works Volunteer (PUWOV) to provide security to the staff.

The situation at Agbado primary school along Akpakpava road was the worst as there were no teachers and pupils in the school premises except officials of the Public Works Volunteer (PUWOV).

Asoro primary school was under lock and key, while officials of the Public Works Volunteer (PUWOV) manned the gate when visited.

At Ogboe primary school located at First East Circular road, only officials of the Public Works Volunteer (PUWOV) were in the school.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

NUT defies court order, continues strike in Edo