Praise won’t pay teachers’ bills — Atiku tells FG

ABUJA – Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Atiku Abubakar, has told the Federal Government that praise will not ease the hardship facing Nigerian teachers, urging it to tackle the rising cost of food, transport, rent and electricity.

Atiku said teachers were being asked to keep educating the nation’s children while their salaries struggled to keep pace with the cost of living, leaving some unable to afford basic needs for themselves and their families.

He made the submission in a statement by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, to mark World Teachers’ Day on Monday.

Recalling his early education in Jada, Atiku said he still remembered the teachers who recognised his potential when few others did.

“Of course, I appreciate Nigerian teachers. I am a product of their work and the education I received in their classrooms. I still remember the names and faces of my early teachers in Jada, who saw potential in a young orphan when few others did. They taught me arithmetic and grammar, but they also gave me a future,” he said.

He said the depth of the hardship confronting teachers could be seen in the sacrifices some were now making simply to get to school and put food on their families’ tables.

“When I hear of a teacher forced to walk miles because transport fares consume so much of their salary, or borrowing food on credit to feed their family before going to teach our children, my heart breaks. No nation can rise above the level of its teachers,” Atiku said.

He said government recognition of teachers must go beyond annual speeches and messages, insisting that their welfare should be reflected in the conditions under which they live and work.

“Government cannot praise teachers on this day and leave them to face hardship for the rest of the year. A commemorative message cannot pay a teacher’s bills. Respect must be reflected in fair conditions, reliable support and policies that make life affordable,” he said.

Atiku also criticised President Bola Tinubu over his alleged inability to name a teacher or classmate from his school days, linking the issue to what he described as a failure to appreciate the struggles of educators.

“It is both revealing and deeply embarrassing that Bola Tinubu cannot name a single teacher who stood before him or a classmate who sat beside him. Teachers are the architects of every nation’s future,” he said.

“If he cannot honour the people who helped shape him, how can he understand the sacrifices teachers make today? Such a president cannot make life dignified or affordable for teachers—not in the country he leads, nor in the community he calls home.”

Atiku further said his experience had given him an appreciation of the demands of teaching and the role educators play in building confidence, knowledge and opportunity.

He said Nigeria could not secure its future while neglecting those responsible for educating its children, promising to pursue policies aimed at reducing the cost of living, supporting decent jobs and improving the welfare of families.

“My promise is clear: I will work to make life affordable again. Teachers and families should not have to watch their incomes disappear on food, transport, rent and electricity. We will pursue policies that bring down the cost of living, support decent jobs and ensure that hard work can provide a dignified life,” Atiku said.

The former vice president also apologised to teachers and Nigerians on behalf of what he described as a leadership that had failed to make their welfare a priority.

“I apologise to Nigeria’s teachers and to all Nigerians on behalf of a leadership that has failed to make their welfare a priority. Teachers deserve more than praise, and Nigerians deserve a government that puts their lives and livelihoods first,” he said.

Atiku thanked teachers across the country for their service, urging the country to match its appreciation of their contribution with meaningful support.