Former Vice President and Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has lamented the worsening cost of living, which is making it harder for Nigerian teachers to support their families and carry out their vital work.
In a statement on Monday by his spokesperson, Atiku hailed Nigerian teachers for their sacrifices.
“Of course, I appreciate Nigerian teachers. I am a product of their work and the education I received in their classrooms. I still remember the names and faces of my early teachers in Jada, who saw potential in a young orphan when few others did. They taught me arithmetic and grammar, but they also gave me a future.”
According to him, he felt pained that Nigerian teachers are forced to walk because transport fares consume more of their salaries.
“When I hear of a teacher forced to walk miles because transport fares consume so much of their salary, or borrowing food on credit to feed their family before going to teach our children, my heart breaks. No nation can rise above the level of its teachers. I will honour them not only with words, but with policies that improve their welfare and make life more affordable.
“It is both revealing and deeply embarrassing that Bola Tinubu cannot name a single teacher who stood before him or a classmate who sat beside him. Teachers are the architects of every nation’s future. A leader who cannot remember those who laid the foundation of his own education has shown just how far removed he is from the classroom and from the daily struggles of those who keep it alive. If he cannot honour the people who helped shape him, how can he understand the sacrifices teachers make today? Such a president cannot make life dignified or affordable for teachers—not in the country he leads, nor in the community he calls home,” he said.
Atiku said teachers are expected to keep giving while the cost of food, transport, rent and electricity continues to rise and their incomes struggle to keep pace.
“Government cannot praise teachers on this day and leave them to face hardship for the rest of the year. A commemorative message cannot pay a teacher’s bills. Respect must be reflected in fair conditions, reliable support and policies that make life affordable.
“I apologise to Nigeria’s teachers and to all Nigerians on behalf of a leadership that has failed to make their welfare a priority.
“Teachers deserve more than praise, and Nigerians deserve a government that puts their lives and livelihoods first,” he said.
Teachers’ Day: I apologise to Nigerian teachers for Tinubu’s failed leadership – Atiku