In a bid to support education and ease the burden on public school workers, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, has distributed Ramadan palliatives to 1,833 primary school teachers in his Zaria Federal Constituency, Kaduna State.
As part of the initiative, the Speaker also provided 116 motorcycles to headmasters and headmistresses of primary schools across the constituency to facilitate their transportation to work.
The Special Adviser to the Speaker on Media and Publicity, Musa Krishi, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday. According to Krishi, Hon. Abbas pledged to extend similar support to other teachers working in public primary schools across the constituency before the end of his tenure.
The Ramadan fasting is expected to commence next weekend.
The palliatives distributed to the teachers included essential food items such as bags of rice, cartons of noodles, spaghetti, semovita, and vegetable oil.
Speaking at the event, Hon. Abbas expressed his commitment to improving the welfare of civil servants, particularly teachers, acknowledging their critical role in societal development.
“I am passionate about workers in general. Anything that affects the life of a civil servant, especially a teacher, I take it seriously,” Abbas said. “I believe anyone bestowed with leadership and has the opportunity to impact the lives of teachers positively but doesn’t do so, definitely God will ask such a person. No society will progress without enhancing the lives of teachers, especially those at the primary schools.”
Reflecting on his personal experiences, the Speaker recounted his time as a primary school teacher in Zaria while pursuing his diploma and degree programs in the 1980s. He highlighted the financial struggles faced by teachers and emphasized the importance of supporting their welfare.
“I know what teachers go through because I had a firsthand experience in those days when things were better,” he said. “I recall, most of the time, a teacher’s salary could barely last for two weeks. There were periods that they would take loans, and the lenders would be present when salary was being paid so that they’d get their money right there as we were paid through table payment.”
Hon. Abbas reiterated that his support for teachers stems from a genuine desire to improve their living conditions, asserting that it is their right to receive such assistance.
The Speaker also extended his appreciation to the Governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani, for his continuous support and collaborative efforts in improving the welfare of citizens. “We have an excellent working relationship, which is for the benefit of our dear state,” Abbas noted.
Dignitaries present at the event included the Chairman of Zaria Local Government Area, Engr. Jamil Ahmad Muhammad; a member of the National Assembly Service Commission, Sen. Suleiman Hunkuyi; and the Chairman of the North West Development Commission, Alhaji Lawal Samaila Yakawada, among others.