Rivers state teachers plead with governor wike to pay salary arrears

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Rivers State Teachers Plead with Governor Wike to Pay Salary Arrears

Teachers in Rivers State have appealed to Governor Nyesom Wike to pay their outstanding salary arrears, which have been pending for several months.

The teachers, who are members of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Rivers State Chapter, made the appeal during a protest march to the Government House in Port Harcourt, the state capital.

The protest, which was led by the state chairman of the NUT, Okocha Akpor, was attended by hundreds of teachers from various schools in the state.

Akpor said that the teachers had been suffering in silence for too long, and that the delay in payment of their salaries had affected their livelihoods and the quality of education they could provide to their students.

"We are appealing to Governor Wike to have mercy on us and pay our outstanding salary arrears," Akpor said. "We are not asking for anything more than what is due to us. We are asking for our rights to be respected."

The teachers also presented a petition to the governor, which highlighted their grievances and demands.

The petition read in part: "We, the teachers of Rivers State, are writing to express our deep concern and frustration over the non-payment of our salaries for several months. This has led to a lot of hardship and suffering for us and our families.

"We are appealing to you, Mr. Governor, to use your good office to intervene and ensure that our salaries are paid without further delay. We are not asking for anything more than what is due to us. We are asking for our rights to be respected."

The teachers also demanded that the state government should take steps to improve the working conditions in schools, including the provision of adequate infrastructure, furniture, and equipment.

The protest was peaceful, and the teachers were escorted by security personnel from the Government House to the state secretariat, where they presented their petition.

The state government has been facing financial challenges in recent times, which has led to delays in payment of salaries and other entitlements to workers. However, the teachers are hoping that the governor will take their appeal seriously and take steps to address their grievances.