Teachers of the demonstration primary and secondary schools in Rivers State with support from the Coalition of Rivers State Civil Society Organization, on Monday, staged a protest at the venue of the ongoing Nigeria Bar Association conference at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium in Port Harcourt.
The teachers, demanding payment of their five years salaries, have in the last six months protested at least three times in front of the Rivers State Government House.
While it cannot be said for certain why the women chose the NBA conference venue for their protest, it is believed that the presence of the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, at the event may have prompted it.
Appealing to lawyers to prevail on the state government to obey the court of appeal order in their favour, some of the aggrieved teachers who spoke with newsmen expressed regret that the state government has ignored their plight despite a series of protests over the issue.
Also speaking on behalf of the protesters, chairman of the Rivers Civil Society Organization, Enefa Georgewill, questioned the state government’s refusal to pay the salaries of the teachers for about five years.
According to him, “the office of the Rivers State Governor is a creation of law, and if a court of competent jurisdiction has given an order, for goodness sake everybody must obey.”
“You said that they are collecting school fees, therefore, they should pay themselves but the question is: are they the Vice Chancellor that is controlling the fund?
“We don’t have issues with the governor, but we are saying that the governor should do well to obey the subsisting court order.
“That is not too much for the teachers to ask for.”
PHSpectator reports that no member of the NBA team or the governor came out to address the teachers despite the fact that the protest took place when the governor was still in the conference .
