Viral video on teachers’ salaries fake, sponsored — Kebbi NUT

The Kebbi chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has urged the general public to disregard a fake video circulating on social media alleging poor funding of education and poor teachers’ salaries in the state.

The State Chairman of NUT, Mr Zaki Sarki, stated this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Birnin Kebbi on Monday.

Sarki, while reacting to disparaging comments and malicious allegations against Gov. Nasir Idris in the education sector contained in the video, described the originator of the doctored video as an agent sponsored by desperate opposition politicians in the state.

He noted that the originator was trying to discredit and rubbish the visible efforts of the present administration in education and other sectors in Kebbi.

He said: “We reject these allegations. It is a ploy to gain cheap popularity by instigating teachers and workers against the government.

“This is the government that has breathed fresh air into a near-dead education sector in Kebbi before he took over the mantle of leadership.

“Records show that Gov. Idris met Kebbi teachers’ salaries at less than N18,000 minimum wage and he swiftly reviewed it to N75,000, which the originator is aware of but chose not to mention because his eyes are closed to any positive development in the state.”

Sarki stressed that attempts to drag to the mud the image of a government that built mega schools in the four emirates, constructed over 2,500 classrooms, recruited 2,000 teachers, and provided furniture and instructional materials, in a desperate bid to smear its hard-earned reputation, would not succeed.

“We, at Kebbi NUT are solidly behind Gov. Idris and we will continue to support him to provide dividends of democracy to the people of Kebbi.

“We hereby condemn and reject the doctored video and its entire contents.

“We urge desperate opposition politicians to verify facts before making fallacious claims and to at least acknowledge some of the achievements recorded in the education sector in the state,” he said.