It was Benjamin Franklin, one of America’s Founding Fathers who said: “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.”  Sadly an understanding of this axiom is doubtful in Nigeria as teachers in Rivers State on Wednesday picketed the Government House over non-payment of their five-year salary arrears.

Earlier in the year, Governor Wike who recently received N78 billion refunds from federal government on behalf of Rivers pledged a N500 million donation for the rebuilding of a burnt market in Sokoto State. The pledge came at a time the governor was yet to resolve a lingering dispute over the non-payment of pensions and gratuity to thousands of retired civil servants in the oil-rich state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the money is for the rebuilding of the Sokoto Central Market destroyed by fire in January. According to NAN, Muhammad Bello, a media aide to the Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, revealed in a statement that the Rivers State governor visited the scene of the fire incident barely 24 hours after it occurred. Wike said part of the N500 million was to support the victims of the fire incident.

Last month the governor came under attack on social media for promising millions of naira to Grammy award-winning artiste, Damini Ogulu (Burna Boy), and others who performed at a homecoming party for the music star. Mr Wike at homecoming party in Port Harcourt announced that all musicians who performed at the event would go home with N10 million gift each.

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On Wednesday, Primary and secondary school teachers from Rivers State tertiary institutions, blocked the entrance gate to Government House, Port Harcourt, to protest non-payment of their five-year salary arrears.

The teachers drawn from the Rivers State University International Demonstration Secondary School, Nkpolu-Oroworukwo in Port Harcourt, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education Staff Primary and Secondary School, Ndele, and the Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic Staff Primary and Secondary School, Bori.

Former students of the institutions, family members, and civil society organisations joined the rally, insisting that government’s continued indebtedness to the teachers, especially after the court had ordered payment of the arrears was unfair.

Some of the placards bore inscriptions such as “Government Is Not A Personal Thing; Our Teachers Deserve Better Treatment, Pay Them Their Salaries; God Is Against Injustice, Please Pay The Teachers’ Salaries and Wike Ease Our Pains And Save The Education Sector, among others.

Chairman, Rivers State Civil Society Organisations, Enefea Georgewill, said withholding the teachers’ salaries for up to five years was indeed depressing.

“We condemn the attitude of the governor towards the teachers. How can Governor Nyesom Wike donate N500 million to the Sokoto State Government over a fire incident that engulfed a market whereas teachers in his state are being owed five-year salary arrears?” He asked.

He, however, appealed to the governor to assist the teachers, whom he said, had been experiencing severe hardship and unable to cater for their families, reminding him that he was a beneficiary of teachers’ training. Georgewill said the protests would continue every month until their salaries are fully paid.

Speaking on behalf of the teachers, Collins Spiff, said the teachers had resolved to continue the protest until Governor Wike did the needful, nothing that they were presently living in pains and anguish.

“It is unfortunate we are in a country where people don’t appreciate peace. Violators are rather placed on payrolls and are paid every month, while nobody cares about the law-abiding citizens. No fewer than 26 teachers have died so far from non-payment of salaries. Governor Wike should comply with the court orders and pay us,” he said.

According to findings by The ICIR, the 500 million naira donation to rebuild Sokoto Central Market can construct and rehabilitate 17 primary health facilities in Rivers State.

The ICIR in a February 2, 2021 article added that: “Using the most recent publicly available budget of Rivers State, where the State’s Primary Health Care Management Board budgeted 30 million naira each for the construction and rehabilitation of 50 primary health care centres in the state, the ICIR’s calculations show that the amount donated by Wike could build 17 PHCs.

“The state government in 2018 put the amount to construct and rehabilitate each health centre at 30 million naira. Out of the 23 local governments in the state, if 17 of them are equipped with quality health facilities, they would lessen the health infrastructural deficit in the state, most especially in the middle of a pandemic.”

Since no government official has so far addressed the protesting teachers, they can only hope and pray that their Governor, a lawyer who benefitted from the educational system in Rivers State, known for outstanding generosity will at this point do the needful by extending his benevolence to them.

▪︎This piece by Lillian Okenwa was originally published in Law and Society magazine on April 22, 2021.