Kwara Teachers Urge Governor AbdulRazaq to Address 27.5% TSA Implementation Issues

[keypoints]

• Kwara Teachers, led by Nigeria Union of Teachers Chairman Yusuf Agboola, have urged Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to address the incorrect implementation of the 27.5% Teachers Specific Allowance (TSA) for TRN certificated teachers and the 21% for non-TRN certificated teachers, emphasising that this issue is unique to Kwara.
• Agboola highlighted other challenges, including non-implementation of November 2023 palliatives, lack of annual increment for SUBEB teachers, insufficient teacher recruitment for senior secondary schools, and non-payment of rural allowances, while commending the government for timely salary payments and recent promotions.
• Comrade Muritala Olayinka, state chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), assured teachers that efforts are underway to implement the new minimum wage, with the state government forming a committee to ensure teachers’ welfare, while SUBEB Chairman Professor Shehu Adaramaja expressed confidence in adequately addressing teachers’ needs once federal modalities are established.

[/keypoints]

Kwara Teachers Urge Governor AbdulRazaq to Address 27.5% TSA Implementation Issues

Teachers in Kwara State have appealed to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to intervene in the challenges arising from the incorrect implementation of the 27.5% Teachers Specific Allowance (TSA) for TRN certificated teachers, as well as the 21% allowance for non-TRN certificated teachers.

Yusuf Agboola, the State Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), made the appeal during this year’s World Teacher’s Day celebrations at the NUT House along Asa Dam in Ilorin. He emphasised that the issue is unique to Kwara State, highlighting the urgent need for government intervention.

“We are still facing this challenge of incorrect implementation of the 27.5% Teachers Specific Allowance (TSA) for TRN certificated teachers and 21% for non-TRN certificated teachers.

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This problem is peculiar to only Kwara State in the entire federation,” Agboola stated, urging the governor to take corrective action to ensure parity with other states.

In addition to the TSA issues, Agboola outlined several other concerns requiring the state government’s attention. These include:

• Non-implementation of November 2023 palliatives for teachers under the Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM).
• Failure to implement annual increment steps for SUBEB teachers for many years.
• Lack of recruitment for senior secondary schools despite significant retirements between 2022 and 2024.
• Non-payment of rural allowances for teachers in rural areas.
• The state government’s failure to adopt the 65/40 years harmonised retirement age for teachers in Nigeria.

Despite these challenges, Agboola commended the state government for the timely payment of teachers’ salaries, cash-backing of TESCOM, and the approval of teachers’ promotions for 2021, 2022, and the recent years of 2023 and 2024.

Also addressing the gathering, Comrade Muritala Olayinka, State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), assured attendees that efforts are underway to implement the new minimum wage for workers in the state.

He mentioned that the committee set up by the state government is working diligently to ensure the swift implementation of this wage increase.

“I urge teachers in the state to exercise a little patience. At the end of the day, we will come out with something tangible that will make everybody smile,” Olayinka said.

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Echoing Olayinka’s sentiments, Professor Shehu Adaramaja, Chairman of the Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), confirmed that teachers will be prioritised in the new minimum wage considerations.

Representatived by Alhaji Abdullatef Solagberu, he mentioned that a committee has been formed, including adequate representation from the NUT, to ensure teachers are well taken care of once the federal government clarifies the payment modalities.

“As soon as approval is given, teachers will be adequately taken care of,” Adaramaja assured the attendees.