Kwara Salary Dispute Escalates as Teachers Report Intimidation

 The Kwara State Government has been accused of retaliating against public school teachers who protested their exclusion from the recently approved 30 per cent peculiar allowance, with claims that salaries were withheld and some educators quietly redeployed to high-risk communities.

The Kwara State Government has been accused of retaliating against public school teachers who protested their exclusion from the recently approved 30 per cent peculiar allowance, with claims that salaries were withheld and some educators quietly redeployed to high-risk communities.

Public school teachers had taken to the streets in January after the allowance—granted to other categories of state workers—was not extended to them. During the protest, teachers openly accused the government and the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) of neglect and betrayal, carrying placards that highlighted rising economic hardship and poor welfare.

One of the affected teachers, who spoke to SaharaReporters on condition of anonymity, alleged that the government deliberately withheld the January salary of Aliyu Idris Haroon, a teacher accused of playing a leading role in the protest.

According to the source, Haroon became a target after circulating a WhatsApp voice note critical of the NUT leadership in Kwara State, whom protesting teachers accused of attempting to frustrate the demonstration.

“Aliyu spoke up against what we are all suffering as teachers. We learnt his salary was stopped because of a voice note where he challenged the NUT leadership. Since the protest, intimidation has started,” the teacher said.

The source further alleged that beyond salary stoppages, several teachers who participated in the protest were posted to remote and insecurity-prone communities in Kwara North and South, a move described as punitive.

“Some of our colleagues have been sent to areas under bandit threat. It looks like punishment for standing up,” the teacher added.

There are also fears of possible job losses. According to the source, officials have allegedly been dispatched to schools to compile the names of teachers involved in the protest, raising concerns about potential dismissals.

As Haroon’s salary situation persists, fellow teachers have begun mobilising financial support to help him care for his family. In a notice circulated among colleagues, he was described as a dedicated educator, Fulbright Fellow, SDGs advocate, and UNESCO ASPnet focal person, now facing professional and personal hardship.

The appeal called on colleagues to contribute ₦2,000 or more to support him during what it described as a “challenging period.”

Efforts by SaharaReporters to obtain a response from the Kwara State Ministry of Education were unsuccessful as of the time of filing. Messages sent to the Commissioner for Education, Dr Lawal Olohungbe, were not replied.

The allegations add fresh tension to an already strained relationship between Kwara teachers, the state government, and their union leadership—at a time when educators say rising costs and stagnant welfare are pushing many to the brink.

SOURCE : NaijaRush Assignment Desk