1,220 sacked teachers beg Kwara gov for reinstatement

Some 1,220 disengaged teachers in Kwara State have appealed to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to reinstate them, citing prolonged uncertainty and the hardship their families have faced since their dismissal.

The teachers, under the aegis of Sunset Teachers, said they had yet to be recalled despite complying with a directive to reapply for their jobs.

The group’s Deputy Coordinator, Wasiu Yunusa, made the appeal at a news conference in Ilorin on Saturday.

Yunusa said the affected teachers were employed in January 2019, towards the end of the previous administration, but were later disengaged by the current government.

According to him, 2,214 teachers were initially affected, although some were subsequently reinstated, leaving about 1,220 still out of service.

He said AbdulRazaq had assured them upon assuming office that they would not be punished for being employed by his predecessor towards the end of the administration.

Yunusa recalled that the governor had described the teachers as his children who did not deserve to suffer because of the timing of their employment.

“About a year after the assurance, we heard online that all workers engaged in 2019 had been disengaged,” he said.

He explained that the affected teachers later met with the governor to seek clarification and were directed to reapply, a process they completed without securing reinstatement.

Yunusa said the teachers had since written several appeal letters to the governor, asking him to reconsider their cases.

He added that many of the disengaged workers had aged parents and other dependants to support but were struggling to meet their family responsibilities following the loss of their jobs.

The group urged AbdulRazaq to intervene and reinstate the remaining teachers, expressing hope that his administration would address their concerns.

“We firmly believe that under your compassionate leadership, our long-awaited hope can become a reality,” Yunusa said.

He added that reinstating the teachers would help restore livelihoods, support families and strengthen the education sector.