Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki has vowed that his administration would not negotiate with the leadership of the Nigerian Union Teachers, NUT as their demands seem to be derailing the programme he has designed for primary schools in the state.
Governor Obaseki who stated this at a stakeholders forum organized by the State Universal Basic Education, SUBEB with the theme “Improving collaboration in the provision of basic education” in Benin City, alleged that a segment of the leadership of the union have been politicized.
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While maintaining that there is no going back in his quest to improve basic education in Edo state, he noted that the last strike by primary school teachers in the state was influenced by a segment of the leadership of the NUT.
He said:
“What we saw the last time were not the teachers, it was part of the leadership of their union that have become political that are playing politics with the lives of our children , we don’t have a problem with the teachers of this state we have problems with a section of the leadership of the union who have decided to politicize the issue and derail what we have started and I have said that as the governor of Edo state that was popularly elected by Edo people I am ready to fight with anybody in the state that will jeopardize our mission.
“So I have advised you; that section of the NUT in Edo, we are not going to negotiate all these, we are not going to be intimidated, we are going to fight as long as you want to derail EdoBEST, it is not a threat but I just want to assure you that we have the mandate of the Edo people to move Edo forward. I hear they are still threatening that the strike is not over, I wish them luck and I want you the stakeholders to join us to make sure that the right thing is done.”
