Kwara teachers begin indefinite strike over non-payment of salaries

Teachers in public primary and Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) in Kwara state yesterday went on strike despite pleas from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
The teachers started the indefinite strike action yesterday over unpaid three months salaries.
Senior Secondary Schools (SSS) classes went on as usual because the state government did not owe SSS teachers.

Speaking with journalists, the state Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Alhaji Abubakar Musa, said the strike hd to take place due to non payment of October, November and December 2015 salary of the affected teachers.

He said:

“There is no way the hungry teachers could deliver effectively, it is better for teachers to stay at home until the Government is capable of paying them.” he said.

The Kwara state chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has appealed to the striking teachers to suspend the strike.

In a release by its Publicity secretary, Alhaji Sulyman Buhari, said:

“As a party, we wish to state that we feel the concerns and share in the pains of primary school teachers in Kwara State. Quite unfortunate, this issue is chiefly caused by the dwindling allocation from the federation account.

“Therefore, it is not about non-payment of teachers’ salaries but non-availability of funds to pay salaries. It requires collective efforts to address rather than strike action, if the resources are available today, the Governor AbdulFatah Ahmed-led Kwara State Government will pay all teachers like it has always done in the past five years.”