Tensions rose in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, on Tuesday as public school teachers staged a passionate protest against their exclusion from a recently approved 30% salary increment for state workers.
Teachers Voice Frustration Over Financial Hardship
The aggrieved educators gathered at the office of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) Kwara State chapter on Asa Dam Road. They expressed their deep frustration and sense of neglect by singing solidarity songs and displaying placards with poignant messages. One of the most striking signs read, "We are surviving on loans," highlighting the severe economic strain faced by the teaching workforce.
One protester, who identified himself only as Olayinka for safety reasons, told journalists that their demonstration was aimed at both the state government and their own union leadership. "We're protesting against the Kwara NUT leadership for their inaction and complacency. Most especially, the exclusion of teachers from the 30% peculiar allowance which has been paid to other state workers, but teachers were exempted," he stated.
The 27% vs 30% Allowance Disparity Explained
Another teacher clarified the core of the financial injustice they perceive. While other civil servants in Kwara have received a 30% "peculiar" allowance, teachers have been granted a separate 27.5% Teachers Specific Allowance (TSA). The protesting teachers argue this creates an unfair pay gap.
"Yes, we heard it has been approved, but without the inclusion of teachers in the 30% peculiar allowance, the teachers will earn less than other civil servants in the state. Compare 27% versus 30 percent," the teacher explained. They further stressed that the 27% was not a new concession but a statutory right already implemented for teachers in other states since 2018. The 27.5% TSA is scheduled for implementation in January, while other workers received their 30% increment in December.
NUT Leadership Distances Itself From Protest
In a swift reaction, the leadership of the NUT in Kwara State publicly disowned the protest. In a statement jointly signed by State Chairman Comrade Yusuf Wahab Agboola and Deputy Secretary-General MONI Mike Modesty Itua, the union declared it did not authorize or endorse the action.
The statement warned, "Arising from the above, anyone or group that goes on a public protest in Kwara State in the toga of representing the public school teachers in the State does so at their own peril." It directed teachers to refrain from protests and instead expressed gratitude to the state government for approving the teacher-specific allowances.
The statement read in part, "the NUT Kwara State Wing sincerely appreciates the Government of Kwara State under the leadership of Malam AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq for the thoughtful approval of Teachers Specific Allowances (TSA) of 27.5% and 21% respectively in fulfillment of the Union's demand." This official position from the union leadership has deepened the rift and debate within the state's education sector.
The protest underscores the ongoing challenges faced by educators in Nigeria, balancing the need for fair compensation with official union stances and government fiscal policies. The teachers' claim of "surviving on loans" paints a stark picture of the economic realities confronting many in the profession.
