Public primary school teachers in Rivers State have embarked on street protest in Port Harcourt to resist plans to transfer the management of the schools to local government authorities.

9NEWSNIGERIA reports that the demonstration by the aggrieved teachers took the form of a carnival, with the compliment of a music band, as they marched to the Government House and the State House of Assembly.

The protesting teachers were led by the State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Lucky Nkpongene, who explained that the union was not against local government autonomy.

Nkpongene maintained that the management of primary schools should remain within the state government.

“The former administration understood what it meant to have Local government council pay teachers salaries. It was a serious challenge for them. Teachers suffered a lot during that era. We have passed that stage and we don’t intend to go back there.

“Local government have a lot of challenges already,” he said.