Don’t thank me for what rightly belongs to you, Bindow tells NUT
The governor of Adamawa state, Senator Muhammadu Umaru Jibrilla Bindow, told the national leadership of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) that they cannot thank him for settling their salaries arrears which is their rightful entitlements.
”I find it inauspicious for teachers to say ‘thank you’ for what rightfully belongs to them. It is your money and we as government must find ways of giving them their rights,” Bindow said
He said this when a delegation of the NUT led by its national president, Comrade Micheal Alogba, came calling at Government House Yola to specially thank him for paying three months salaries and still perform well in terms of infrastructural development in the state.
The Adamawa state chairman of the union, Mr. Rodney Nathan, earlier said that the visit was to thank Governor Bindow for settling three months salary to the state’s teachers as he had promised.
In his own response the, Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Umar Bindir, revealed that the Bindow led administration inherited a spectre of decayed infrastructure, indolent populace, collapsed public utilities, a divided citizenry, socially traumatized people and a state that lacked everything a citizen can be proud of.
He was emphatic that any state that cannot meet up with payment of salaries for months, diverts public funds, fails to provide basic expectations of good governance qualifies to be tagged a failed state.
He stated that, being a teacher himself, and together with the Governor whose name Bindow, If translated means “teacher”, the state will not toy with teachers welfare which is akin to toying with the future.
He however reiterated governments commitment to settle all outstanding debts, noting that without teachers ” we will all not be here discussing.”
Meanwhile, Governor Bindow made an unscheduled visit to project sites in Numan and Ngurore local government areas where he inspected the ongoing work at the Numan general hospital, Villanova Secondary School, GSS Demsa and a road project at Ngurare.
He expressed satisfaction with the quality and speed of work, emphasising to journalists that funds have been set aside for payment upon attainment of certain level of work as contained in the contract Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
