We tried our best to avert teachers strike - FG

By Akintayo Abodunrin - 03.07.2008

THE Minister of State for Education, Dr. Jerry Agada, has disclosed that the Federal Government tried its best to avert the ongoing nationwide teachers’ strike.

Agada, in an interview with the Nigerian Tribune, disclosed that contrary to Nigerians’ belief, the government did not ignore the demands of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) before it commenced the nationwide strike.

According to Agada, dialogue had been initiated with the teachers since they first embarked on a three-day warning strike, but that despite assurances from government that their demands were being looked into, they chose to begin the strike.

“It will be erroneous to say that government ignored the teachers.  Right from the time information reached us about the warning strike, we have been dialoguing with the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT); only that we did not reach a conclusion with regard to fulfilling the demands that were at stake within the period of the warning strike.

“But we made it clear to the NUT that there was no need for any strike because we were dialoguing.  If you were engaged in such actions, it means that something is being done.  If government were to be adamant by saying, no, if you are going on strike, we don’t care, then you can say we were adamant, but that was not the case,” Agada said.