Some teachers disengaged by the Kwara State Government have appealed to the state governor to reinstate the remaining affected workers, saying their continued disengagement has made it difficult for them to meet their family responsibilities.
The Deputy Coordinator of the Sunset Teachers, Mr Wasiu Yunusa, made the appeal at a news conference on Saturday in Ilorin. He said 2,214 teachers employed in January 2019, towards the end of the previous administration, were later disengaged by the current administration, although some had since been reinstated, leaving about 1,220 still out of service.
Yunusa explained that when the current administration came into office, the governor had assured the teachers that they would not be punished for being employed late by his predecessor.
According to him, the governor had described them as his children who did not deserve to be punished.
However, Yunusa said that about a year after the assurance, the teachers learnt online that all workers employed in 2019 had been disengaged.
He said the affected teachers later had an opportunity to meet with the governor to seek clarification on the reason for their disengagement.
According to Yunusa, the governor directed the affected workers to reapply for their positions. He said they complied with the directive, but most of them were yet to be reinstated.
The deputy coordinator added that the teachers had written several appeal letters to the governor since their disengagement, asking him to reconsider the decision.
He said many of the affected teachers had aged parents and other dependents to care for but were now struggling to meet their family obligations because they remained out of work.
Yunusa appealed to the governor to look into their situation and reinstate them.
“We firmly believe that under your compassionate leadership, our long awaited hope can become a reality,” he said.
He added that history would remember the act of reinstatement as one of mercy and justice that restored lives, strengthened families and advanced the cause of education.
