Alarm over Okpebholo’s plan to abort new salary scheme for teachers

By Folorunso Alagbede, Abuja

The Edo Salvation Group, ESG, has expressed outrage over the promise by Senator Monday Okpebholo, the All Progressives Congress, APC governorship candidate in Edo State election to abandon the new salary package for teachers in the state.

Speaking at a campaign rally in Auchi on Monday, Okpebholo vowed to discard the salary package being implemented by the Godwin Obaseki administration in favour of the yet to be implemented proposal of the Federal Government.

The National Coordinator of the ESG, Imman Ekpe in a statement, following the APC rally, expressed concern over the promise by Okpebholo to reverse the fortune of teachers in the state in favour of the suspense that presently faces federal workers over the new minimum wage.

Noting that teachers in Edo State have been enjoying the N70,000 minimum wage since May 2024, the ESG said it was alarmed by the plan by Okpebholo to turn back the hand of the clock.

The group quoted Okpebholo to have said: “We are going to ensure that we pay them (teachers) according to the law of the Federal Government of Nigeria, not Obaseki’s way of paying teachers.”

Responding, the ESG said: “We are shocked by another gaffe by the APC candidate even if he followed up on our threat by coming up to say he will provide security and not INSECURITY as he said last Thursday in Ovia North when he missed his script as dictated by Senator Adams Oshiomhole.

The ESG said, “However, whether he (Okpebholo) missed his script on education is now lost on us given his promise to abandon the new salary package for workers and teachers in Edo State.

“This is another disaster from the APC candidate and we urge voters to shine their eyes and open their ears to the plan by the APC to reverse their situation.

“We are again calling on Okpebholo to prepare to defend this proposal at the forthcoming debate for governorship candidates”, the group said.