Teachers in Rivers state comprising of primary and secondary schools have appealed to the state government to pay them their salary arrears running into five years.

They made the appeal at a joint media briefing with the Rivers State Civil Society Organization in Port Harcourt, alleging that their salaries were stopped on the 18th of February 2016 by the state government.

The teachers numbering over 250 persons are from the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education Demonstration Secondary School, Ndele, Rivers state University International Secondary and Staff School, Port Harcourt, and the Ken Saro-Wiwa Polytechnic Comprehensive Secondary School, Bori.

According to the teachers, their names were removed from the state government salary voucher on orders of the state government.

They appealed to the State Governor, Barr. Nyesom Wike, to pay up the salaries and the accruing arrears to enable them to cater for their families and health needs, saying they were facing untold hardship in the last five years. The teachers further said they may be compelled to embark on a protest on the streets if their pleas were not considered.