In a statement signed by the State Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Sulyman Buhari, the party said the contending issue is not really about non-payment of teachers’ salaries but non-availability of funds to pay salaries, which requires collective efforts to address rather than strike action.

However, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in the state, Comrade Musa Abubakar, said primary school teachers are beginning the strike just as schools are expected to resume from their first term holiday yesterday to protest the non-payment of their four months’ salary arrears.

Abubakar, who made this known in Kaiama, Kaiama Local Government Area of the state, said that the union could no longer guarantee industrial harmony in the state following the non-payment of their four months’ salary arrears.

Abubakar said that the primary school teachers in the state had been loyal and dedicated to duty in spite of the failure of the government to pay them salaries for months.

APC continued, “As a party, we wish to state that we feel the concerns and share in the pains of primary school teachers in Kwara State. Quite unfortunate, this issue is chiefly caused by the dwindling allocation from the federation account.

“Therefore, in actual sense, it is not about non-payment of teachers’ salaries but non-availability of funds to pay salaries. It requires collective efforts to address rather than the strike action. If the resources are available today, the Governor AbdulFatah Ahmed-led Kwara State Government will pay all teachers like it has always done in the past five years.

“Given the cordial relationship between Kwara State Government and Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) with mention to the fact that the union, not too long ago, acknowledged the outstanding performance of Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed in the sector with its national merit award, we wish to say the record of the state government is clear and the will to pay teachers’ salaries by the Kwara State Government is not doubtful.

“Since it is about non-availability o‎f resources, the planned industrial action would be counterproductive and it lacks the capacity to solve the contending issues.

“In the light of the above, we hereby appeal to leadership of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Kwara State to suspend its plan to embark on industrial action.