The Chief Press Secretary to the Kwara State Governor, Rafiu Ajakaye, has penned a compelling piece that intertwines the state's infrastructural progress with a crucial appeal to public consciousness and a detailed explanation on teachers' welfare.
The Dual Legacy of Ilorin's Walkways
Rafiu Ajakaye identifies the network of walkways across Ilorin, the state capital, as a significant legacy of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq. He notes that beyond their aesthetic appeal, these pedestrian paths promote a healthier, less sedentary lifestyle and enhance safety by reducing vehicle-pedestrian accidents.
However, he sounds an alarm on the threat posed by poor public habits. Ajakaye specifically observed that water outlets along Offa Road are clogged with sachets and trash. He argues that the durability of public infrastructure, including the newly upgraded roads in Ilorin and Offa, depends directly on how citizens treat them. The difference in lifespan between infrastructure in Nigeria and that in developed nations often boils down to public attitude and maintenance culture.
He calls for a collective mindset shift, starting from every home, to stop littering and burning trash on roads, emphasizing that the responsibility for preserving public assets built with taxpayer money rests with everyone.
A Clarion Call on Teachers' Allowance and Equity
Shifting focus to education, Ajakaye expresses unwavering support for teachers, applauding the Governor's approval of the 27.5% Teachers Specific Allowance (TSA), a demand dating back to 2012 that was finally answered in 2025. This approval, effective January 2026, adds roughly N1.3 billion monthly (about N15.6 billion annually) to the state's wage bill.
He, however, addresses a new demand from some teachers who also want to benefit from the 30% peculiar allowance approved for core civil servants. Ajakaye explains that the peculiar allowance was a federal policy designed by former officials to harmonize pay between core civil servants and agency staff. Core civil servants do not receive TSA or other professional allowances like CONMESS or CONHESS.
Providing a breakdown, he stated that a Level 7 Step 1 teacher on TSA already earns N101,623.94, which is higher than the N99,978.65 earned by their counterpart in the core service with the peculiar allowance. Granting teachers both allowances would create a wider, unsustainable pay gap, potentially triggering service-wide agitations and destabilizing the system.
"What is sustainable in many human endeavours is equity, not equality," Ajakaye asserts, cautioning that the push for the peculiar allowance is risky and could even jeopardize the hard-won TSA.
Record of Achievement and a Plea for Stability
The CPS outlines the administration's concrete achievements for teachers, which include:
- Payment of 345% outstanding salary arrears from 2016.
- Prompt and full salary payments.
- Full implementation of promotion arrears from 2017, with 2025 already approved.
- Bridging the disparity between TESCOM and SUBEB workers.
- Implementing two new minimum wages back-to-back.
- Regular capacity building for SUBEB teachers since 2019.
- Restoration of cooperative deductions and annual incremental steps.
While reaffirming the government's esteem for teachers, Ajakaye concludes with a plea to avoid triggering a "civil war" within the service and to collectively safeguard the state's infrastructural investments for future generations.
