A group of teachers disengaged by the Kwara State Government is asking Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to reconsider their dismissal and allow them to return to the classroom, saying prolonged unemployment has made it difficult for many to support their families.
The group, known as the Sunset Teachers, made the appeal on Saturday at a news conference in Ilorin, where its Deputy Coordinator, Wasiu Yunusa, called for renewed consideration of the cases of teachers who were employed in 2019.
Yunusa said the affected teachers were recruited in January 2019, towards the end of the administration preceding the current government. He claimed that 2,214 teachers were subsequently disengaged, although some were later reinstated, leaving about 1,220 still out of service.
According to him, the teachers had expected their employment to be reviewed without automatically holding them responsible for the timing of their recruitment. Yunusa said the governor had previously assured them that they would not be punished simply because they were employed by his predecessor.
He said the group was therefore disappointed when it learnt, about a year after the alleged assurance, that workers recruited in 2019 had been disengaged. The teachers are now asking the state government to revisit the decision and consider their individual circumstances.
Yunusa said many of those affected have aged parents and other dependants who rely on them for financial support. Their continued absence from public service, he argued, has left them struggling to meet family responsibilities.
The group appealed to AbdulRazaq to intervene, expressing hope that the government would reconsider the remaining cases and provide a path back into employment.
“We firmly believe that under your compassionate leadership, our long-awaited hope can become a reality,” Yunusa said, adding that reinstatement would help restore livelihoods, support families and strengthen education.
The appeal places the focus on the unresolved position of the teachers who remain disengaged, following the reported reinstatement of some members of the original group. The state government’s response to the latest request was not included in the statement provided.
