Ebonyi teachers seek recruitment, payment of salary arrears
Teachers in Ebonyi State have asked the state government to recruit more teaching staff and clear outstanding salary and minimum-wage arrears, warning that manpower shortages are putting pressure on public schools.
The state chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Francis Ekechi, raised the demands during the 2026 World Teachers’ Day celebration at the NUT Secretariat in Abakaliki.
Ekechi said severe understaffing made the 1:30 teacher-to-pupil ratio he cited difficult to achieve in many public schools.
Union seeks urgent recruitment
The NUT chairman called for fresh recruitment to strengthen staffing levels and improve teaching and learning across the state.
The union did not provide, in the reporting reviewed by IDNN, a verified statewide figure for the number of additional teachers required.
Its central claim is therefore that public schools are severely understaffed — not that a specific verified recruitment deficit has been established.
Teachers demand payment of arrears
Ekechi also called for the settlement of salary arrears affecting teachers under the Teachers’ Service Years Harmonisation policy.
The union further said SUBEB primary school teachers are owed seven months of minimum-wage increment arrears.
That seven-month figure remains an NUT claim unless the state government publishes matching records or a payment reconciliation.
The union also requested regular training and retraining focused on modern teaching methods and instructional technology.
NUT acknowledges recent welfare measures
Despite its demands, the NUT acknowledged measures it said had improved teacher welfare under Governor Francis Nwifuru’s administration.
Ekechi cited the recall of directors in the education sector and the implementation of a ₦20,000 monthly allowance increase for SUBEB teachers.
That creates a mixed picture: the union is recognising recent welfare interventions while arguing that staffing shortages and outstanding arrears remain unresolved.
Government reiterates commitment to teachers
At the same event, Governor Nwifuru reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to improving teacher welfare and school infrastructure.
He said the government would continue to recognise, reward and invest in teachers.
Education Commissioner Donatus Ilang also stressed the importance of teachers to the state’s development, while Ebonyi NLC chairman Ogugua Egwu urged government and society to move beyond verbal appreciation and address teachers’ working conditions.
The government remarks amount to a policy commitment, but they do not by themselves establish that the specific arrears identified by the NUT have been cleared or that new teacher recruitment has begun.
What remains unresolved
The key accountability questions are whether the state government accepts the union’s seven-month arrears figure, how many teaching vacancies currently exist across Ebonyi public schools, and whether authorities will announce a timetable for recruitment or payment.
Until those details are formally provided, the established position is that the NUT has called for urgent recruitment and payment of outstanding arrears, while the state government says teacher welfare and school infrastructure remain priorities.
