37 teachers died in Zaria blast, says NUT .The Nation

July 9, 2015

Written by Gbenga Omokhunu, Abuja 

Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) President Micheal Olukoya yesterday said 37 teachers died in Tuesday’s  blast in Sabon-Gari, Zaria, Kaduna State.

Olukoya said many other teachers who were victims of the blast are hospitalised in various health centres in the state.

According to him, 272 teachers have so far died in the hands of Boko Haram insurgents in Borno State. Over 19,000 teachers have been displaced in the Northeast since the outbreak of the insurgency.

Olukoya spoke in Abuja at a programme to commemorate the NUT Founders Day.

Olukoya  urged President Muhammadu Buhari to curb the insurgency.

Olukoya challenged the government to tilt its development programmes in favour of the education, saying there is the need for a review of retirement age of teachers from 60 to 65 years.

He argued that the retirement age of university lecturers and judges was recently raised from 65 to 70years because of the assumption that they tend to perform better, having garnered enough experience in the course of service.

“The older the teacher, the more caring and tolerant he is to the students with improved dexterity in the pedagogy of teaching acquired over time.

“We, therefore, wish to restate our demand that the retirement age of primary and secondary school teachers in the country be raised from 60 to 65 years,” Olukoya said.