On Tuesday, the Nigeria Union of Teachers urged state governors who owe teachers salary arrears to spend their remaining months in office to pay off the debts.Dr Mike Ike-Ene, the union’s Secretary-General, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja ahead of World Teachers’ Day.

Every year on October 5, World Teachers Day is observed to honour teachers.

The theme of this year’s celebration is “Teachers at the Heart of Education Recovery.”

According to Ike-Ene, several state governors owe primary and secondary school teachers months of unpaid salary.

“Many of these teachers have lamented over the inability and irregularities of the state to pay their salaries as and when

“Many of these teachers have lamented over the inability and irregularities of the state to pay their salaries as and when due following the current economic situation in the country.

“Some state governments owe primary school teachers a backlog of salaries ranging from four to 18 months,” he said.

He, however, commended state governors who had been committed to paying teachers’ salaries as and when due.

On the new salary scale for teachers, the secretary general said the union and the Federal Government were still working towards its implementation.

Ike-Ene said the new teachers’ retirement age from 60 to 65 years and 35 to 40 years of service had attained 90 per cent implementation.

Meanwhile, the Kwara State Government has declared today (Wednesday) a work-free day for all primary and secondary school teachers in the state.

According to a statement issued by Peter Amogbonjaye, Press Secretary at the state Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, the gesture was made to allow teachers across the state to celebrate the day.

In the statement, Mrs. Mary Adeosun, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education and Human Capital Development, said the state government’s decision in her office on Tuesday.