Lukman Abdulmalik
Primary school teachers in Kaduna State have voiced their grievances regarding the non-implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage.
This follows a statement made by the state governor, Uba Sani, during the International Workers’ Day celebration on May 1st, in which he declared that “no worker in the state earns less than N70,000 as salary in compliance with the new minimum wage.”
However, in an interview with Stallion Times, Zainab Abdullahi, a degree holder who served as a primary school teacher in Kaduna, revealed that she has been earning less than N50,000 for the past eight years.
Approximately 15 teachers, including her, from a certain primary school in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna central have been involved in the incident. For reasons of anonymity, the name of the school has not been disclosed.
“I am a level 08 civil servant, and my salary has remained N49,073.40 since the previous administration. The new minimum wage has not reflected in my salary or in that of other teachers in Kaduna State,” she said.
Zainab also noted that the April salary was further reduced by N2,000 as a deduction for the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), bringing her take-home pay to just N47,000,073.40 while NCE holders are left with N42,000,066.36
As the breadwinner of her family and a mother of four, she explained that the amount is grossly insufficient to meet her family’s needs.
“I spend N900 daily on transportation to work, which adds up to about N24,000 monthly. This doesn’t include feeding and other family responsibilities,” she lamented.
She further disclosed that after several complaints, teachers were asked to check if they had taken loans, which she confirmed she did not.
Kaduna State teachers are now calling on the government to fulfill its promise and implement the newly approved minimum wage.
