Primary and secondary school teachers employed by the Rivers State Government have protested at the Government House in Port Harcourt.
They expressed dissatisfaction over not receiving the N100,000 Christmas bonus that Governor Siminalayi Fubara approved for civil servants.
The protesting teachers pointed out that while other state civil servants received their bonuses with their December 2023 salaries, they were inexplicably left out.
Governor Fubara had announced the bonus for each civil servant before the Christmas holidays, a decision that was initially met with widespread joy among workers, including members of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress in the state.
The aggrieved teachers, assembling outside the Government House, have urged the state government to address the situation and ensure they receive the promised bonus.
One of the teachers simply identified as Oke, who spoke with newsmen said, “We were so happy when we heard that the governor approved a N100,000 Christmas bonus for all civil servants. So we assumed that the last Christmas was going to be very great for us.
“But as we speak today, this is January, a few of us as you can see have not received the Christmas bonus.
“On Monday, schools will be resuming. Most of us travelled and we have returned.
“We have exhausted all we have. So we are here this morning to register our complaints to our dear loving governor to help us talk to those who are holding our Christmas bonus.
“Our N100,000 Christmas bonus should be released because it will go a long way in cushioning the effect of the hardship especially in this January.”
Others who spoke accused their banks and the state Universal Basic Education Board of failing to address the matter.
An official of the government who addressed the protesting teachers commended them for their peaceful disposition and assured them that their complaints would be looked into.
