Story of my life
Tuesday was the beginning of a new academic session since Monday was a public holiday celebrating the Eid-El-Maulud. As expected, every child was excited to connect with their friends again after the long break. Definitely, it is something I would do when I was younger but now that I am a school teacher with nieces and nephews, I see life from another perspective. A week ago, which was before resumption, we had a staff meeting where the proprietor briefed the staff on the academic plans for the coming session; my main interest was the new salary listing that would be announced because sincerely, it is choking here in Nigeria. In the last session, the fuel price was about 600 naira yet the cost of living was still high. With the little salary I earned last session, I could save up to only 1500 a month because the remaining money was used to clear important monthly bills. In this session, the fuel price rate is doubled – 1500 naira in the black market; I wonder how much will be the new salary and how many pupils we are expecting in this new session. Already, we heard some parents cannot afford to pay the fees because of the economic situation of the county.
After the meeting with the proprietor, the salary was not part of the agenda of the meeting, and the whole staff began to grumble. When the proprietor noticed the mass response, he asked what was wrong as though he did not know the situation of the country. Collectively, all the staff murmured, “How about the salary, Sir?” the proprietor said that he talked about it, but we were not attentive – according to him, the salary will be increased based on the strength of the pupils. This was when I knew my decision. Certainly, I will not be able to cope, I will be indebted at the end of the month because if the last administration I could save only 1500 naira monthly, this session I will not save but borrow to meet my needs. Friends, before now most of the food we saw to be a poor man’s food is what a middle-class man is seeking to survive.
It is strange that a country known to be an oil-producing state is distributing its resources at a high price to the citizens who tend to have no job, food, or other basic needs. I know how I survived when school did not resume; imagine what happens when I begin to teach and get paid the same salary but a different cost of living. How? How will one survive?
Next week, I think I have to submit my resignation letter to the school and begin to seek a greener pasture. Better still, I join my friends and farm the airdrops that trending here and there. Gratefully, #hive has saved my life and it is time I take it as a full-time job. I am sure my colleagues would love to be part of this lifesaving platform as we keep engaging.
Guys, it is choking but we will survive it!