More than 200 teachers under Universal Primary and Secondary Education in Nakasongola have besieged the office of the Chief Administrative Officer protesting failure by the ministries of public service and finance to pay their salaries for the last three months.
The angry teachers stormed CAO Suleiman Kasozi’s office demanding payment for the months of December 2011, January and February 2012. They have vowed not to teach again unless they are paid.
The Nakasongola CAO Sulaiman Kasozi on Monday told teachers that he addressed their complaints to the public service ministry and asked them to go back to their respective schools as the matter is being handled but the angry teachers rejected the explanation and refused to vacate his office forcing him to call the Resident District Commissioner, David Masereka and Chairman LC 5 James Wandira to talk to the teachers.
RDC Masereka later met the aggrieved teachers who submitted their petition demanding President Yoweri Museveni’s in the matter.
RDC Masereka told Uganda Radio Network that the district has decided to form a committee to bring the matter to the attention of ministers of public service and finance for urgent action.
But the teachers have refused to resume teaching. Learners spent the whole of Monday playing because most of the teachers were not available.
The teachers are part of hundreds whose names were accidentally deleted from the payroll during changes in payment schedule by the ministry of public service in 2011 under the Integrated Personal and Payment System.
The chairperson of Uganda National Teachers Union—UNATU Nakasongola branch, Edward Ssenozi, who headed the teachers, explains that the ministries of public service and finance have been promising to pay their salaries but whenever they go to the bank they find no money.
He added that they were ordered to fill the public service forms three times so that their money is processed but for three months now nothing is forthcoming. According to Ssenozi, they received information that the ministry of finance and economic planning released the money but they have not seen it on their bank accounts. Ssenozi claims that their money could have been diverted or swindled and wants the CAO to give an explanation.
John Mukasa, one of the affected teachers at Nakasongola Catholic Primary School, says his three children have failed to go back to school due to lack of school fees. He says he is demoralized to teach other people’s children while his own are still at home.
James Lukwago, another affected teacher from Katuugo SDA primary school says that he doesn’t have money to cater for the needs of his family.
Lukwago says his family is starving and he has decided to abandon teaching to look for money elsewhere.
Attempts by URN Reporter to get a comment from public service ministry were unsuccessful.
