A public school teacher in Kebbi State, Abduljalal Usman, has been suspended from duty after posting a video on social media criticising the Ramadan palliative distributed by the state government.
Usman, who works under the Kebbi State Government, had earlier shared a video on his Facebook page expressing dissatisfaction with the quantity of food items reportedly given to teachers as support during the fasting period.
In the video, recorded in Hausa, the teacher displayed the items he received and questioned the adequacy of the gesture. He said the support consisted of one mudu, a local measurement bowl, of rice and millet, describing the assistance as insufficient considering the work teachers perform daily.
Usman stated that teachers dedicate their time to teaching students throughout the day but receive little support in return. He repeatedly emphasised in the video that he was not grateful for the items provided.
Two days after the video began circulating online, Usman announced on social media that he had been suspended from his teaching duties for three months. He suggested that the disciplinary action was connected to the video he posted criticising the government’s Ramadan palliative distribution.
According to him, he received a message from the Ministry of Education and the Dandi Local Government Education Authority informing him of the suspension.
However, a suspension letter reportedly issued by the Office of the Education Secretary in Dandi Local Government Area stated that the teacher was sanctioned for negligence and defaulting on his duties. The letter added that the suspension would last for three months without salary.
Following the development, Usman advised fellow teachers to exercise caution when engaging in activism, particularly if they do not have another stable source of income.
Efforts to obtain official comments from the Kebbi State Ministry for Basic and Secondary Education were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
