Government primary and secondary school teachers protesting over the non-payment of their salaries stormed the River State government house on Wednesday.
The protesters took over the entrance of the Rivers State Government House with placards bearing different inscriptions such as “Government is not a personal thing”, “Our teachers deserve better treatment, pay them their salaries”, “God is against injustice, please pay our teachers’ salaries”, “Wike ease our pain and save our education sector”.
The teachers who are from Rivers State University International Demonstration Secondary School, Nkpolu-Oroworukwo in Port Harcourt; Ignatius Ajuru University of Education’s Staff Primary and Secondary School, Ndele and the Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic’s Staff Primary and Secondary School, Bori decried that the state government, despite a court order to pay them, has continued to withhold their monies.
Speaking, Chairman, Rivers State Civil Society Organisations, Enefea Georgewill, said the government act of holding back their salaries for five years was wicked.
He implored the state governor to come to the teachers’ aid who he said have been experiencing severe hardship and unable to cater for their families, reminding the governor that he was a beneficiary of teachers training.
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He said: “We condemn in the strongest terms the attitude of the governor towards the teachers. How could the governor, Nyesom Wike donate N500 million to the Sokoto State government over a fire incident that engulfed a market, whereas teachers in his state are being owed five-year arrears of salaries.
“It is unfortunate we are in a country where people don’t appreciate peace. Violators are those rather placed on payrolls, and pay them every month, while nobody cares about the law-abiding ones.
“More than 26 teachers have died so far, over non-payment of their salaries, the governor should comply with the court order and pay us.”