Teachers protest exclusion from #100,000 Christmas bonus in Rivers

Approximately 100 primary and secondary school teachers employed by the Rivers State government have protested in Port Harcourt.

The aggrieved teachers expressed their dissatisfaction with the alleged exclusion from the N100,000 Christmas bonus approved for civil servants by Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

The discontented educators, who claimed that other civil servants had already received their bonuses alongside their December 2023 salaries, voiced their concerns and questioned why they had been left out of the festive financial relief.

Governor Fubara had earlier granted the bonus to all civil servants before the holiday season, eliciting widespread jubilation among members of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress in the state.

Taking their concerns directly to the heart of the government, the aggrieved teachers occupied the Government House along Azikiwe Road, emphasizing the urgency for intervention from the state government.

In a statement to the press, a teacher identified as Oke appealed to Governor Fubara, urging him to intervene and ensure the prompt release of the Christmas bonus funds to the affected educators.

She conveyed the initial excitement among civil servants when news of the bonus approval spread, only for the joy to be short-lived as some teachers, including herself, had not received the expected funds even in January.

Expressing the financial strain faced by the teachers, Oke emphasized the importance of the bonus in alleviating the January hardship, stating, “Our N100,000 Christmas bonus should be released because it will go a long way in cushioning the effect of the hardship, especially in this January.”

Several teachers blamed their banks and the state Universal Basic Education Board for the delay in processing their bonuses, adding another layer of frustration to the situation.

Addressing the protesters, an official of the government commended the teachers for their peaceful demonstration and assured them that their grievances would be thoroughly examined and addressed.