KEPYO Urges Patriotism Amid Controversy Over Teacher’s Ramadan Palliative Video

KEPYO Urges Patriotism Amid Controversy Over Teacher’s Ramadan Palliative Video

By Jamila Muhammad 

The Kebbi Progressive Youths (KEPYO) has called on residents of Kebbi State to demonstrate patriotism and refrain from actions capable of portraying the state negatively.

The group made the appeal while reacting to a viral video in which a teacher lamented that the Ramadan palliative he received was not commensurate with his status as a teacher.

Speaking with journalists in Birnin Kebbi, the spokesperson of the group, Comrade Hamisu Sani, said the organisation was particularly concerned about the reactions that followed the reported suspension of the teacher after he took to social media to air his grievances.

Sani noted that as a public servant, it was not even a right for the teacher to benefit from Ramadan palliatives. However, whenever the government decides to distribute palliatives in whatever form, he becomes entitled. It was on this note, therefore, that Sani faulted the decision of this teacher to publicly ridicule the assistance and, by extension, the state.

According to him, preliminary findings indicated that the items displayed in the viral video were not part of the palliatives officially promised by the state governor.

He added that while citizens have the right to express concerns, public officers are expected to follow established administrative procedures when seeking redress.

“Even where the size or nature of the palliative becomes a subject of complaint, the appropriate step would have been to exhaust internal administrative channels before resorting to other platforms,” Sani said.

He further stressed that public servants are bound by regulations guiding the responsible use of social media, noting that such platforms should not be used in ways that could bring the state government into disrepute.

“As far as we are concerned, the suspension preferred against this teacher may be for bypassing established channels of communication through which to seek redress, breaking the state’s code guiding the responsible use of social media for public servants” Sani said.