Edo teachers refuse to resume in defiance of court order

Teachers in public primary schools in Edo have defied a National Industrial Court order restraining them from a strike.

For a second day after schools resumed in the state, teachers under the auspices of the Nigeria Union of Teachers have stayed away from class.

The National Industrial Court sitting in Benin City had on Monday in a suit filed by the State Government and the Edo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) restrained NUT from proceeding on any strike in primary schools across the state.

The state NUT Assistant Secretary General, Moni Mike Modesty Itua, said the union is not aware of any court order.

A correspondent visiting some schools within Benin metropolis observed that the teachers are yet to resume while officials of the Public Works Volunteer (PUWOV) were manning the schools.

At the Emokpae Model primary school, the usual academic activity was put on hold as the teachers were yet to call off the ongoing strike.

Few staff suspected to be those of the local government education authority and the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) were seen with some pupils in a classroom.

The situation at Agbado on the Akpakpava roas and Ogboe primary school located at First East Circular Asoro primary as well as Asoro primary school was not different, as officials of the Public Works Volunteer (PUWOV) were seen manning the gate.

Meanwhile, state NUT Assistant Secretary-General, Itua, said “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.”