Ebonyi teachers protest non-payment of salaries, as commissioner orders arrests

Over 3,000 teachers from the 13 local government areas of Ebonyi State staged a mass protest in Abakaliki, the state capital, on Sunday, decrying the non-payment of their three-month salaries and the minimum wage.

The teachers expressed frustration with the local government chairmen, passing a vote of no confidence on all 13, and attributing the delay in salary payments to the sudden deaths of three colleagues on Christmas Day.

The protest comes days after Governor Francis Nwifuru issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the council chairmen to pay the outstanding salaries, ensuring that teachers could celebrate Christmas like other workers in the state. However, the directive was reportedly ignored for nearly a week.

During the protest, the teachers, in large numbers, blocked the entrance to the Akanu-Ibiam International Conference Centre (ICC) and Onwe Road, halting traffic for over three hours.

They were carrying placards with various inscriptions: “we are dying of hunger and starvation, Tell local government area chairmen to pay us our 3 months salaries, UBEB teachers are suffering because of no payment of salaries, pay us bonus for Christmas and minimum wage.”

One of the protesters, Mrs. Udu Nnenna who spoke to newsmen at the venue said: “we are here because for the past three months, we have not received our salaries.

“No bonus, no minimum wage, no arrears, no promotional increment, nothing for us for the past three months.

“Everyday, they will call us to come for screening, yet after that, no payment of salaries and we are dying gradually.

“If they don’t pay us, they should leave us to stay in our houses peacefully. How can we be using the little we have to pay for transport to come for screening?”

Another protester who spoke to newsmen on anonymity said: “We are the UBEB teachers, we have not been paid for three months.

“We have been hungry for three months. Our members are dying everyday because of the refusal by local government area chairmen to pay us our salaries.

“They have paid SEB teachers three months, including minimum wage and Christmas bonus, but UBEB teachers have not been paid. We are hungry and that’s why we are angry and protesting.”

Meanwhile, the commissioner for education in Ebonyi state, Mr. Paul Awo Nwabosi who met the leader of the protesters, threatened to deal with him.

Instead of addressing the protesting teachers, the commissioner ordered the arrest of their leaders and they were forced into a stationed Hilux van.

When News360 Nigeria approached the commissioner for further reaction, it was unsuccessful as he quickly entered into his Hilux van and zoomed off.

Also, the chairman of ALGON, Ebonyi State chapter, Mr. Chinedu Uburu, when contacted for reaction on phone, did not pick several calls put across to him as of the time of filing this report.5