Twelve Iringa teachers denied May Day prizes

Twelve teachers initially declared winners of this year May Day awards - Best Employees categories in education sector in Iringa Rural District Council have not received their prizes to date six months down the lane.

The Tanzania Teachers Association secretary in the area, Joseph Millinga said the nominees received their congratulatory letters in April this year which also informed them that they had emerged victorious as best workers in their departments.

`Through official letter with reference number IDC/A.50/1/IV/17 dated April 20, this year, the teachers were informed about their achievements. But to our surprise none of them has received any of the prizes they won,` sad looking Millinga explained.

Clarifying on the winning departments, the secretary said some of the winners came from the District Education Office, a ward education coordinator, two head teachers and eight schoolteachers from different schools.

However, the education office in the district failed to understand the logic behind such delays, especially when knowing that 15 other winners from different departments in the same area had already been presented with their prizes.

He named the departments whose winners had received their prizes as those from Community Development, Works, Water, Agriculture, Health and Social Welfare, Livestock, Lands, Cooperatives, Natural Resources and Environment.

`The fact that schoolteachers feel discriminated in this prize offering exercise, the work morality will be greatly affected as they are likely to lose confidence and trust of the concerned authorities,` observed Millinga.

In another development, teachers in Iringa Rural District owed the government a sum total of 50,189,955.80/- after verification of the demand for payment since February this year.

It was learnt that the invoice initially presented by the teachers amounted to 114,503,426/70, but then brought down to Sh.50, 189,955/80 after the authorities had authenticated the debts.