The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has commended President Bola Tinubu for ensuring local government financial autonomy.

The union, however, said funding of basic education, including teachers’ salaries, should be handled by state governments, financial autonomy of the councils notwithstanding.

The NUT’s national president, Audu Amba, stated the union’s position after its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting on Thursday in Abuja.

Specifically, Mr Amba said the NEC resolved that salaries and allowances of basic education teachers and other support staff members should be deducted as first-line charges from the consolidated revenue.

He said that after the deduction from the consolidated revenue, the fund should be paid directly to the state universal basic education boards nationwide for onward disbursement to beneficiaries.

According to him, basic education should never be left entirely in the hands of the local government councils.

“The levels and ratios of participation of the three tiers of government, in respect of entire funding of basic education in Nigeria, should be expressly provided through constitutional amendments.

“The NEC-in-session has deliberated on this topical issue of concern to teachers in the basic education segment of our school system and, by extension, all Nigerian teachers in the light of its implications to the funding of basic education in Nigeria.

“Our call that basic education should be shielded from unwarranted neglect and abuse is necessitated in the light of the importance of the basic education layer of the nation’s education system, being the bedrock of our national orientation and development,” he said.

Mr Amba, therefore, urged Mr Tinubu and the National Assembly to rise to the occasion by causing desirable amendments in the nation’s revenue allocation formula to reflect the realities of the day.

“As necessitated by the recent Supreme Court judgment on the autonomy of local government councils, our highly sought national development cannot be achieved without a solid and properly funded basic education for the entire citizens of our great nation.

“NUT is confident that, if the job of the teacher is properly perceived, rated and protected through the ongoing constitution amendment and schools are efficiently and effectively funded and managed, the Olympian heights of insecurity in Nigeria will be curbed to the barest minimum,” he added.

On July 11, the Supreme Court affirmed the financial autonomy of the nation’s 774 local government councils.

Mr Ambali stressed that the apex court’s decision had necessitated the need for the National Assembly to swiftly commence consequential amendment of the 1999 Constitution to seamlessly synchronise with the court’s judgment.

(NAN)