Senate wades into teachers strike, summons minister, NUT officials

Soji-Eze Fagbemi, Abuja - 22.07.2008

Disturbed by the prolonged nationwide strike by primary and secondary schools teachers, the Senate has finally waded into the crisis.

Already, the upper legislative house has summoned the Minister of Education, Dr. Igwe Aja-Nwachukwu and the officials of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) to appear before its Committee on Education today.

A letter signed by the Senate Committee on Education Clerk, Elder Felix Orumwense stated that the committee had summoned the Education Minister and the NUT officials to a very crucial meeting on the prolonged crisis.

The meeting, which is expected to find a lasting solution to the crisis is holding today at the Senate Committee on Education room 304, and the NUT is to be led by its Deputy National President and the Secretary General Comrades Onem Nelson and Ikpe Obong respectively.

After a three-day initial warning strike, the NUT directed the teachers to commence on a full blown nation-wide strike on Monday 30 June, 2008, an order that has paralysed all teaching activities in the public primary and secondary schools across the country.