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.”