•Says rumour, wicked antics of jittery opposition

The attention of the Kwara State Teaching Service Commission has been drawn to some malicious rumour being spread by enemies of teachers in their shameful attempt to create a discord between His Excellency Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and teachers or other categories of civil servants for that matter.

For the records, teachers and other workers are assured that His Excellency has no plans now or in the future to retrench teachers or any workers or stop prompt payment of their salaries as is currently being spread by the opposition. It is their last straw to create needless fear in the people to curry favour and create unnecessary panic. The Governor has said repeatedly that any mass sack of workers is a recipe for social instability and a rise in poverty and crime rate. It is not an idea he likes at all, as his actions and utterances have shown.

Since taking office in 2019, His Excellency has heavily invested in education and teachers' welfare because he understands the importance of education to any state and the roles teachers play in making this happen.

You will recall that His Excellency in the last three years has cleared all outstanding arrears of salary of teachers and cash-backed 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 promotions, which were outstanding from the previous administration. He has also approved promotions from 2019 to 2022 to ensure that promotions are up to date. His Excellency also approved and implemented the minimum wage for teachers in the state while also recruiting 4701 new teachers to fill the gaps identified across the state, including 2000 at Tescom level.

This same Governor has organised special programmes to appreciate teachers and indeed civil servants, which had never happened before. It is his firm belief that investments in infrastructure without commensurate support for the workforce will be a waste of public resources. That is why he has been doing his best to support workers within available resources.

It is, therefore, appalling that the opposition will tag this same man who has invested hugely in teachers' welfare as an enemy of teachers. We appeal to teachers to ignore this noise as it is from the figment of the opposition's imaginations and their attempt to show us what they will do to teachers if elected. These were the same people who impoverished teachers for many years.

We call on all teachers to let the good works of the governor continue by re-electing the 'teacher-friendly' governor Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq to do more for us and for our state, as anyone can testify to. Let us not forget where we are coming from; we can not afford to go back. Not now, not ever.

SIGNED
Mallam Bello Tauheed Abubarka
Executive Chairman
Kwara State Teaching Service Commission
(TESCOM)