SLTU Confirms Steps to Reinstate 1,802 Teachers After Payroll Suspension

The President of the Sierra Leone Teachers’ Union (SLTU), Ibrahim Bankapoma Kargbo, has confirmed that the Teaching Service Commission (TSC) has formally requested the Ministry of Finance to reinstate 1,802 teachers who were recently re-verified and re-registered.

According to Mr. Kargbo, once reinstated, the teachers will receive salary payments dating back to July 2025, with a three-month grace period agreed upon to ensure that all financial arrangements are processed.

“They reinstated us in August and agreed to pay the July backlog. We also agreed that a three-month grace period should be provided to finalize the process,” Mr. Kargbo told Awoko on Wednesday.

The move comes after 4,662 teachers were removed from the government payroll following a nationwide verification and registration exercise conducted by the TSC between March and April this year. Mr. Kargbo revealed that his own name was mistakenly included on the list of suspended teachers, raising questions about the accuracy of the process.

“I discovered my name was also on the list. That alone created doubts about the authenticity of the exercise,” he said.

The SLTU criticized the verification exercise, noting that the union’s request to review the suspension list prior to implementation was denied. The list was only made available after the suspension order was issued in July.

Following internal consultations, the SLTU’s National Executive Committee instructed district and regional executives to publish the names of suspended teachers locally to allow communities to verify their authenticity. This process revealed that even some union executive members were affected.

The union has renewed calls for greater transparency and fairness, emphasizing that legitimate teachers should not be wrongly penalized.

While the reinstatement of 1,802 teachers represents progress, thousands remain under suspension as the SLTU continues discussions with the TSC and Ministry of Finance to ensure that all verified teachers are restored to the payroll and receive any outstanding payments.