From TCNEWS
Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT Abia State chapter has commenced the verification of retired teachers, a process hoped to lead to the disbursement of the overdue retirement entitlements to the retired teachers.
Abia Retired Teachers Forum ( ART- FORUM), a Forum which envisions a world where retired teachers ’enjoy prosperity in good health while actively volunteering and deploying their skills in ensuring a sustainable quality and all-round education, had earlier raised the alarm that none of the teachers who retired between the year 2017 and 2023 have received the entitled benefits.
ART-FORUM had also in a letter which was also copied respectively to the Abia State Governor Alex Otti; Civil Society Action Coalition on Education For All, (CSACEFA), Centre for Human Rights Advocacy and Wholesome Society, (CEHRAWS) and Abia Civil Society Organizations Network, (ACSON) stated that “In accordance with the NUT mandate, the Union routinely collects a specified amount from active teachers, intended to be returned to them upon retirement”, which the NUT allegedly failed to do.
Interacting with our correspondent at 120 Awkuzu lane by Enugu road , NUT OFFICE, TEACHERS HOUSE, Umuahia, shortly after going through the verification exercise which required the retired teachers submitting their NUT passbook, retirement notice among others,
Mrs Eunice Egbuna, ART-Forum State Coordinator and State Coordinator of CSACEFA, appreciated the rapid response of Governor Alex Otti to their plight which gave birth to the exercise and called on the NUT to ensure that the retired teachers received all they earned as anything short of that would also be made known to the appropriate quarters including the State Governor.
She lamented the difficulties encountered by the retired teachers which include the verification hall which she said was not conducive as most of the retired teachers are vulnerable.
She suggested that the NUT would have zoned the exercise to enable the affected come on the scheduled date instead of jam-packed exercise.

Egbuna seized the opportunity to appreciate Gov. Otti for extending the year of service of classroom teachers to five years but advised that the governor take a cursory look at the fitness of most of the teachers so that the ineligible ones be made to proceed on retirement instead of occupying space meant for the young and vibrant persons with teaching qualifications.
She reaffirmed the preparedness of the ART-FORUM to assist the government retrain the young teachers and make classroom activities a lively one in the state.
Furthermore, she lauded the efforts of Gov. Otti towards revamping the education sector, even as she expressed the willingness of the ART-FORUM to come in to change the face of the Domestic Centre in Aba.

She called on the government to help clear criminals from it and use it for better academic activities.