From Vivian Israel, Port Harcourt
The Rivers State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, observes with utmost dismay, and condemns in strong terms the non-payment of salaries of the newly recruited teachers in Rivers State for four months today and also regretted the inconveniences they have faced for that long without salaries, which clearly is as a result of mismanagement, poor financial planning and politicization of all sectors of Rivers economy by Governor Rotimi Amaechi.
The Party therefore wishes to state that the explanation offered by the Rivers State Ministry of Education that the State government lacks funds to pay the teachers has vindicated the Party’s position that the Rivers State government is broke.
The Party in a statement signed by Jerry Needam, Special Adviser on Media to the State PDP Chairman, Bro. Felix Obuah, says the Governor’s action has further confirmed that gathering the newly recruited teachers at the liberation stadium under the guise of issuing them employment letters, and later planned to use them to protest against the President of Nigeria President Goodluck Jonathan has vindicated the position of the Rivers State Commissioner of Police.
“In the light of the above, the PDP warns Governor Rotimi to stop playing politics with the lives and future of these innocent newly recruited teachers and also admonishes him (Amaechi) to settle down in Rivers State to face the mirage of problems he has created with a sincere determination to solving them, rather than chasing shadow in the name of All Progressives Congress, APC”.
The Governor’s insensitivity to the plights of the recently engaged civil servants in the State has caused so much embarrassment to Rivers People within and outside the country. It is in this respect that the PDP as a responsible Party regrets and apologises for the choice of Amaechi as Governor of the State.
In the same vein, the Party also condemns the N24, 000 basic monthly salary earmarked for each of the newly recruited teachers, stressing that such amount falls short of what is paid graduates all over, as basic salary.
The party asks Governor Amaechi to without further delay regularize this anomaly and pay all these graduate teachers, what is obtainable in civil service.
The Party therefore, issues a 7(seven) day ultimatum to the Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi to pay all salaries and allowances owed all newly recruited teachers in the State.
