By Gbenga Olarinoye
OSOGBO— Osun State chapter of Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, is split into two factions with the secondary school teachers in the state forming a parallel union.

Their grouse was   over alleged increase in the monthly union deductions from members’ salaries.

It was reliably gathered that one Obawole Abike, said to have led the team that collected signatures of teachers in secondary schools across the state, was chosen as the leader of the new splinter group called  Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools, ASUSS.

It was learnt that the group  held several meetings before the last one at Oduduwa College, Ile Ife early this week where loose ends of the new union’s matters were tied.

The leader of ASUSS, a source present at the meeting, declared that the leadership of NUT in the state has failed to protect rights of teachers, especially those working in secondary schools, hence its decision to form a parallel body.

The new union also resolved to stop further monthly NUT deductions from their salaries .

One of the aggrieved teachers at the meeting   reportedly, said the decision to quit NUT was to free the secondary school teachers   from the aged long “high-handedness,oppressive and anti-teacher-policies”.

Regarding the existing court judgement that outlawed ASSUS, the meeting was said to have resolved to approach another court to secure injunction that would enable it   move on.

Obawole in his reaction said, “what we are after is independent from the union(NUT) because it is moribund and the secondary school teachers have agreed to quit since their interest are not protected”.

But when contacted, the Osun state chairman of NUT, Mr. Olawuyi Emmanuel Olalere, described those behind formation of ASSUS as “mere agitators”, who according to him were fighting to protect their personal ego and interest at the expense of the generality of teachers.

Olawuyi said “I am a secondary school teacher and I am not part of that group. Relevant court of law has made pronouncement on the matter and outlawed any group other than NUT that claim to represent teachers in the country. Who are the members of ASSUS in Osun state? They are faceless people, who should be ignored.

“Our members know we care for them and we have their mandate to continue as their representatives,” he concluded.