Oyo State Chapter of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) took the lobby of their members in Oyo State, the Federal Capital Territory and other 35 states of the federation to the Chairman Senate Committee on Local Content and member of Constitution Review Committee, Senator Teslim Folarin on Proposed Bill on Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers (2021), with a plea with the Oyo Central Senator to support the inclusion of the union.
The News Carrier NG, in March 2021, reported that NASU staged a 3-day nationwide protest in a bid to pressure the federal government to include non teaching staff in primary and post primary schools in the Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers in Nigeria Bill (2021)
The federal government had excluded non teaching staff in a planned legislation to extend the retirement age of teachers to 65 years and the years of service to 40 years from the current 35 years as well as special salary scale and enhanced allowances.
According to a letter signed by Comrade (Mrs.) M.A Adediran who is Oyo State Chairperson of NASU, Senator Folarin is requested to speak in support of the inclusion of non-teaching staff when the bill is finally transmitted to the red chamber by the Federal Ministry of Education for enactment.
The letter further stated that that the Federal Executive Council is seen to be discriminatory against the Non-Teaching professionals and support staff in the basic education sub-sector.
“The NASU Members must be included in the proposed executive bill in the spirit of fairness, equity, natural justice and good conscience. Teachers are not the only workers in the basic and foundational sub-sector of the education sector. Teachers work with quite a diverse range of Non-Teaching professionals and support personnel. While we conceded that teaching is central to schools, it is also obvious that a positive, congenial, safe and healthy working environment conducive for’teaching and learning is also important, which teachers alone cannot provideand guarantee”.
“We did draw the attention of the President and the Honourable Minister of Education, to the discriminatory aspect of the policy and pleaded that the interest of the Non-Teaching professionals as well as those of other support staff of the sub-sector should be taken into consideration in the policy direction of Government”
The letter noted that the National Assembly as the highest representative body of the people, and the holder of constitutional and legislative power of broad oversight functions, is empowered to scrutinise bills and the conduct of Government officials.
The letter appealed to Senator Teslim Folarin and other 108 serving senators of the Federal Reptibliciof Nigeria, to exercise the power conferred on the National Assembly under section 58V (3) of the Constitution, to amend the bill, in order to accommodate the interests of Non-Teaching professionals and other support staff in the schools system in the consideration and passing of the said bill transmitted to the Senate by the President. Amending the bill to ensure that the retirement age of Non-Teaching professional and other support staff in the School system is moved to 65 years, put at 40 years in line with what has been proposed in the bill for Teachers, will be in tandem with the spirit of fairness, equity and justice to all, which is one of the cardinal principles of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
In his response, Senator Folarin assured the leadership of NASU in Oyo State that he would convince his colleagues to advocate for the inclusion of non-teaching staff in the proposed executive bill when transmitted to the National Assembly for enactment.
He noted that the Nigerian Senate recently passed a bill to abolish the discrimination between holders of Higher National Diploma (HND) and Bachelor of science (BSc) from tertiary institutions.
“Just like the bill abolishing HND/BSc dichotomy got the overwhelming support of the 109 serving senators, Proposed Bill on Harmonised Retirement Age for Teachers (2021) with inclusion of the non-teaching workers will enjoy similar support” the three-term lawmaker assured.
Leaders of Oyo State NASU who interacted with the Oyo Central Senator included Comrade (Mrs.) M.A Adediran (Oyo State Chairperson), Comrade Akande Ibraheem Adekunle (NASU Chairman,The Polytechnic Ibadan branch), Com. Kazeem Lasisi (Executive Member) and Comrade Alimi Rahaman (Ex officio).
