Subsidy Removal: Soludo, Teachers Brainstorm On Way Forward

Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State has described the removal of subsidy on petroleum motor spirit popularly known as fuel as a necessary disruptive change that has the potential of re-engineering the nation’s economy.

However, in a concensus that the removal have profound impact on various aspects of lives, teachers under the auspices of Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, Anambra State Wing and Governor Soludo are brainstorming on ways to cushion the impact on their members.

At the 9th (7th Quadrennial) Delegates Conference of the Union holding at Teacher’s House in Awka with theme, “Petrol Subsidy Removal: its impact on the teacher and learner, the way forward”, Governor Soludo told the gathering that over the years, Nigeria has been living in denial, printing and pumping money into the system, thereby fueling inflation and commended President Bola Tinubu for the courage to remove the subsidy.

The Governor stressed that it was high time the country woke up to the reality that it is a poor country and begin to live within their means, pointing out that starting from those in leadership, there is need for them to begin to live and demonstrate to the people that this is a poor country.

He revealed that the reality of the subsidy removal affects everybody and not just civil servants, reiterating that the present administration’s plan to cushion the effects is all-encompassing to include the immediate and medium term efforts.

Professor Soludo assured that his government will recruit more teachers and continue to give accessible and quality education to the state citizenry.

Earlier, Anambra State Chairman of NUT, Mrs. Nonye Chibueze applauded the Governor’s initiatives towards the education sector and said that notwithstanding the recruitment of five thousand teachers, there is inadequate number of teachers in nursery and primary schools and called on him to recruit more teachers.

The Head of Service, Barr. Theodora Igwegbe, Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, Chairpersons of Anambra State Universal Basic Education Board and Post Primary Schools Service Commission, PPSSC, representatives of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, among others, attended the event.