By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja
The Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS), Kogi State Chapter, has decried recurring attacks on schools and educational communities, warning that the incidents pose serious threats to safety and undermine effective teaching and learning.
The union urged the Kogi State Government to reinforce security around schools through improved surveillance, intelligence gathering, community collaboration and rapid emergency response.
The demands formed the highpoints of a communiqué signed by Comr. Emejeh Ogwu Sunday and Comr. Muhammed Ada Sule, State Chairman and State Secretary respectively, issued at the end of the State Executive Council (SEC) meeting of the union on Thursday in Lokoja.
ASUSS called on the state government to restore the 27.5 per cent Teachers’ Special Allowance (TSA), recruit more teachers and strengthen security around schools to address growing challenges confronting the secondary education sector.
The union commended Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo for what it described as his administration’s efforts in improving the state’s security architecture and sustaining industrial harmony through its positive disposition to workers’ welfare and the public service.
Despite the commendation, ASUSS expressed concern over recurring attacks on schools and educational communities, warning that the incidents pose serious threats to the safety of teachers and students. The council made a strong case for the restoration of the 27.5 per cent TSA, describing it as a product of a duly negotiated collective bargaining agreement designed to recognise the peculiar responsibilities of teachers.
ASUSS also applauded the introduction of the Kogi State Health Insurance Scheme, describing it as a major step towards improving access to quality healthcare for workers and their families. It urged teachers yet to register to take advantage of the scheme without further delay and appealed to the government to accelerate the payment of gratuities to retired workers.
The union said payments should be made in more substantial batches to enable retirees, especially teachers, enjoy the rewards of their meritorious service.
Raising the alarm over the acute shortage of teachers in public secondary schools, ASUSS said the development had overstretched available personnel, reduced instructional effectiveness and negatively affected learning outcomes. It urged the government to urgently recruit qualified teachers to fill vacancies across the state.
