NUT accuses NTI of defrauding teachers of N1.4bn

Written by Clement Idoko, Abuja, with Agency Report Friday, 25 May 2012

THE Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has alleged that the National Teachers Institute (NTI) short-charged its members to the tune of N1.437 billion during the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) training programme for 2011.

NUT president, Mic-hael Olukoya, made the accusation at a news conference in Abuja, on Thursday.

He accused the institute of paying each participant only N2,500 stipends for transportation and accommodation for the six-day training, instead of the approved N14,000 per participant.

“In the modern day Nigeria socio-economic predicament, the NTI is offering N416 daily to teachers to carter for transportation, accommodation and feeding.

“The question here is what happened to the balance of N11,500 per participants, amounting to the total of N1,437,-5000,000 for the 125,000 participants,” Olukoya asked.

He condemned the action of the institute and accused it of underrating the worth and integrity of teachers.

Olukoya, who called for immediate payment of the balance of N11,500 to each participant, said failure to do so would lead to boycott of future NTI and MDGs training programmes.

When contacted, the NTI, through its public relations officer, Mr Mohammed Abdullahi, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the allegations were false.

He said the institute had yet to receive the approved funds for the training from the Federal Government.

Abdullahi said the institute, at a recent meeting with members of the union, intimated them of the delay in the release of the funds.

via Tribune