The All Nigerian Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), Delta State chapter, have dissociated themselves from the present strike embarked upon by the state branch of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT).
President of ANCOPSS, Delta State, Comrade Brisibe Ebipade Mark told newsmen in Warri on Sunday in a press conference that ANCOPSS has no powers to call off the teachers strike as directed by the state Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa.
Governor Okowa had threatened to invoke the ‘no work, no pay’ rule against striking secondary schools teachers in the state if they fail to resume duties from today.
Okowa had in statement by the Director of Information in the Ministry of Information, Mr. Paul Osahor, directed Teachers and Principals of Public Secondary Schools in the state to resume normal classes with effect from Monday, March 20, 2017, without fail.
But the President of ANCOPSS, Delta State chapter said Principals do not go on strike even when teachers all over the country go on strike, adding that they still go to work to perform skeletal duties during strikes.
Brisibe noted that ANCOPSS was not a trade union that can call for strike, adding that the governor should take note of their position and have a rethink as to the order he gave them.
He said, “The directive given to teachers and teachers to resume work on Monday is okay. But I want to let you know that Principals are executive officers, and as executive officers we are always at our duty post, strike or no strike. Since the strike started we have been in our duty post and carrying out skeletal duties.”
On his part the Warri South Local Government Chairman of NUT, Comrade Ikuejawa Ishmail, stressed that it is only the Delta State Wing Executive Council, SWEC of NUT which declared the strike action that can call it off or suspend it
He wondered why teachers were being owed salaries for couple of months, yet political appointees are not owed salaries, stressing that it is not fair on the parts of the teachers who toil day and night without pay.
Delta State Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa had on Saturday March 18 in a press statement, directed members of ANCOPSS to ensure that secondary school teachers resume work from Monday March 20, threatening to invoke the “no work, no pay policy”.
The SWEC had on Thursday March 9, 2017 resumed its suspended strike action over the non-implementation of its 10-point demand.
Some of the demands of the teachers include, Non-implementation of monthly salaries to primary school teachers as at when due, decision by JAAC to reduce primary school teachers monthly salaries to 81%, non-implementation of teachers ‘ promotions by PPEB and SUBEB as well as non-payment of promotion arrears of primary and secondary school teachers.
