Kwara Government Withholds Teacher’s Salary, Transfers Others To Security-Challenged Areas Over Protest On Entitlements
February 4, 2026 | News
The Kwara State Government has been accused of victimising public school teachers who participated in a recent protest over their exclusion from the state’s approved 30% peculiar salary allowance, with allegations of salary stoppage, punitive transfers, and planned dismissals.
In January, public school teachers in Kwara State staged a protest after they were excluded from the 30% peculiar allowance granted to other categories of state workers. The protesters accused both the state government and the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) of neglect and betrayal.
During the protest, teachers carried placards highlighting worsening economic conditions and what they described as unfair treatment. Some of the messages read: “Economic hardships of Kwara teachers are escalating daily due to poor payment. Implement 30% peculiar allowance in addition to TSA for teachers now!”
One of the affected teachers, who spoke to SaharaReporters on condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation, alleged that the government is now targeting Mr. Aliyu Idris Haroon, a teacher accused of leading the protest.
According to the source, Haroon’s January salary was deliberately withheld as punishment for a voice note he shared on WhatsApp criticising the leadership of the NUT in Kwara State.
“What we learnt is that Aliyu is being punished by the government for speaking up against the maltreatment we are all facing as teachers. His January salary was withheld because of a voice note he made on WhatsApp to tackle the NUT leadership. NUT did not want us to protest and tried to stop us because they had already been bribed by the governor,” the teacher alleged.
The source claimed that Haroon had openly opposed attempts by union leaders to halt the protest, insisting that teachers had a right to demonstrate over unpaid entitlements.
“Aliyu told them they could not stop us from protesting. Since after the protest, the NUT and the Kwara Government have started intimidating us. They stopped his salary because they believe he led the whole protest,” the source said.
Beyond the alleged salary stoppage, teachers also accused the government of punitive postings, claiming that some protesters were transferred to remote and insecurity-prone communities in Kwara North and South.
“They have deliberately posted some of our colleagues who participated in the protest to communities under bandits’ siege to punish them,” the source added.
There are also fears of possible mass sackings. According to the teacher, government officials have allegedly been visiting schools to compile the names of those who took part in the protest.
“We are gathering that they are planning to sack Aliyu and some of us that participated in the protest. Officials have already gone to schools to collate our names,” the source said.
As Haroon’s salary remains unpaid, colleagues have begun mobilising financial support to help him cater for his family. In a support notice circulated among teachers, Haroon was described as “a dedicated and highly accomplished teacher, Fulbright Fellow, SDGs advocate, and UNESCO ASPnet focal person.”
The notice stated that he “has experienced a change in his employment status following an internal matter involving a voice note shared within a professional group,” which has created “a challenging period for him professionally and personally.”
Teachers were urged to contribute ₦2,000 or more to assist him, noting that “contributions of any size are appreciated.”
Repeated attempts by SaharaReporters to obtain a response from the Kwara State Ministry of Education were unsuccessful. Messages sent to the Commissioner for Education, Dr. Lawal Olohungbe, had not been responded to as of the time of filing this report.
Source: Sahara Reporter