Unpaid salaries: We’re dying – Kwara teachers

The concerned teachers of SUBEB in Kwara State yesterday protested in Ilorin against nonpayment of their salary arrears, vowing not to resume for a new academic session next week.

Spokesperson of the protesting teachers, Mr Abubakar Abdulwha’ab, said Kwara SUBEB teachers were dying as a result of their unpaid arrears, saying they could not endure anymore.

“Our staff are dying. Kwara SUBEB teachers have turned to beggars. They beg all over the streets. We implore the Kwara State Governor, and the Senate President to come to our aid. We are tired of being patient. If they did not pay us, we will not resume academic activities. Kwara SUBEB teachers are not resuming.

“We do not have promotion since 2010. They gave us two letters without money. They can not bring their wards to our school. It is as if they do not have blood in their vein. It was scheduled that we will resume by September 17, if they did not pay us, we are staying at home and no Jupiter can force us to resume. No money, no resumption. We are concerned teachers of SUBEB that cuts across 16 LGAs in Kwara State. We have been patient enough. How do you expect a hungry teacher to go to the class and discharge his duties effectively? We learnt and heard that President Muhammadu Buhari gave out Paris Club bail out to the states all over the country. The president later said to the governors, ‘I wonder why you governors can sleep with all eyes closed while your workers are dying in hunger. It is sympathetic,” Abdulwahab said.

The state government, through the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor, Muideen Akorede, said it was unaware of the body organizing the protest, explaining however, that the arrears were caused by the drop in allocation to the local councils in the state.