Dear Governor Soludo,
I studied a course in Education and came out with Second Class Honours, Upper Division. I started my second job in Lagos State in the Educational Sector and my TRCN certificate saved the school from being shut down.
In October 2023, I heard that my State Government was recruiting teachers. I applied and my name was among the 3,000 selected. So, on the 1st day of April, 2024, I put in my one month notice of resignation.
My employer immediately made me a fresh offer:Â She would open a bank account in my name and I would sign a five-year contract with her and one of the clauses read that I would cut ties with my family and focus on work for the next five years. Every year, she would pay 1 million Naira into the account which I could not have access to by the way, but after five years, I’d have access to the account and move on with my life (5 million Naira in total). It felt like I was in Dreamland.
After a few seconds of contemplating, I refused the offer on the spot, not because the money was small; no, but because the clause of cutting ties with my family (my earthly succour) felt like signing a Contract of Slavery.
In the remaining one month, she made an outcast of me in the school; yet, I worked and discharged my duties respectfully till the end, helped interview and recruit my replacement whom I put through work till I handed over peacefully.
The best phase of my life (as I thought) commenced as I travelled back for the Anambra State teaching job with so much excitement and hope. Alas! After staying for almost 2 months at home with no Employment Letter in sight, and a fast depleting bank account, I nearly gave up.
A few more weeks later, the State sent for us to come and pick up our Employment Letters. I went and collected mine but when I saw the salary, nature of employment and conditions, I nearly went mad with incredulity or maybe slumped.
My dear State offered a temporary employment with two years’ probation period, no possibility of transfer for ten years and a meagre salary of N33, 122. 65, tax excluded. Annual salary of N397, 471. 00.
My dreams died as I stared at the Offer of Employment. The worst is that I and others that received the offer letter were told to backdate our Acceptance Letter to bear a date in October, 2023 which raises the suspicion that since October 2023, someone in government had been collecting salaries of all those recently offered employment in July, 2024 and wanted to use our Acceptance Letters to cover up, isn’t it? What is the reason for the back date? Something is fishy and should be investigated.
I dare ask:
What is the hope of an educator in a state like my dear Anambra under a Professor of repute and governor?
Does Governor Soludo know that such an appalling offer is being made to new recruits who came from far and near to serve in their own state and communities?
How in the world would N33, 000+ be enough for transportation or even rent, let alone, for a month and within the next 10 years of my life?
I used to be a good writer but I feel my writing skills have disappeared from me at the instance of this ordeal. All I feel is depression in the state I longed to return to and help build through education.
The saddest is watching my parents get older and I wonder how this meagre salary that can’t even fend for me would be enough to cater for them. At this point, they are catering for me, for someone in her early 30s. I ask again: what is the hope of an educator in Anambra State or in Nigeria as a whole?
This is too much to bear. I need urgent help
From anonymous writer
