Teachers Molested over Minimum Wage in Benue

Governor Gabriel Suswam

If there was any one more evidence needed to show that law enforcement agents have not imbibed the tenets of democracy, the physical attack on protesting primary school teachers in Benue State is a perfect one.

The teachers had endured for two years a dashed hope of a better welfare following the introduction of N18,000 as the national minimum wage, which they had expected the Benue State Government to comply with like its counterparts in other parts of the, country. The issue has been a sore point in the relationship between the state chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and the state government.

Their patience snapped Wednesday as the hapless teachers from all the 23 local councils of the state staged a peaceful protest to press home their demand for the payment of the minimum wage.

But it turned out a brutality session as policemen attached to the Benue State Government House harassed and beat them up in addition to firing teargas canisters at them.

The action of the security operatives created a stampede which left many of the aggrieved teachers sustaining varying degrees of injuries.

The teachers had converged as early as 8am on the state secretariat of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) from where they marched on the Government House where they expected Governor Gabriel Suswam to address them.

Some of them bore placards which had inscriptions such as: "Suswam don't kill primary school education in Benue;” “No minimum wage, no Work;” “No teacher, No education;” and “We are tired of this government's fake promises."

However, tempers rose among the protesters at the entrance of the Government House when the state NLC Chairman, Mr. Simon Anchaver, addressed them and pleaded that he and other representatives be delegated to meet and discuss their grievances with Suswam.
It was in the midst of the confusion that some overzealous security personnel started beating up the protesting teachers just as teargas canisters were also fired at them.

The resultant stampede left some of the teachers injured, while many of them who passed out after inhaling the teargas fumes were revived by their colleagues.

It was also gathered that the state NLC chairman and that of the NUT were also whisked away into the Government House in the midst of the confusion by security operatives.

One of the aggrieved teachers, who preferred anonymity, said they were "protesting the insensitivity of the state government to the plight of teachers who are currently not enjoying the minimum wage".

“See what they have done to us? Aside owing us our legitimate earnings, they have used their security operatives to beat and humiliate us, as if we are in a military regime; God is watching," he added as he fought back tears.

When contacted, the state command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Daniel Ezeala, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, said policemen were drafted to the scene to maintain peace and order and not to beat anyone.

“I’m not aware that the policemen beat anybody because they were posted there to maintain peace," he said.

Also, the Special Adviser on Media to the governor, Dr Cletus Akwaya, denied any involvement of the Government House policemen in the attack. He said Suswam was a man of peace and could never sanction any manhandling of the teachers.