Kebbi Teacher Who Rejected ‘One Bowl of Rice’ Ramadan Package Gets Three-Month Suspension

Mr. AbdulJalal Usman was handed the three-month suspension in a letter signed by the office of the Education Secretary, Dandi Local Government of Kebbi State. In the letter, the secretary accused Usman of "negligence and defaulting to duty," which attracted a three-month suspension without pay.

"For your negligence/defaulting to duty, the authority is hereby suspending you to its duty for a period of three months without salary," the letter read.

According to the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), the suspension is a punishment for Mr. Usman's act of recording a video where he rejected the Ramadan palliative package distributed by the government.

In a video that circulated online, Usman rejected the one bowl of rice and millet the government distributed to support the ongoing Ramadan fast while also criticising the authorities for being unconcerned about the plight of the poor.

The suspension has quickly drawn reactions online, with observers calling it authoritarian, incompetent, and callous.

Usman's suspension also drew some sympathy online as a good Samaritan was reported to have sent him 150,000 naira as support for the Ramadan season, pending when he resumes his job.

Since the start of the 2026 Ramadan season in February, state governments, especially in the Northern part of the country, have distributed foodstuffs as palliatives to support muslim adherents, many of whom are negatively impacted by the country's harsh economic reality.

However, the nature of the palliative has generated massive criticism, especially in Sokoto state, distributing cassava flakes (garri) with groundnut, sugar, and water as palliatives after budgeting 1 billion naira to provide 34,000 meals.

In other parts of the country, including the South West, there have been distributions of Ramadan packages by the support group of President Tinubu. The package, which includes foodstuffs and basic groceries, has divided opinion online, with some observers describing it as an attempt to use it to hoodwink poor Nigerians into voting for him at the upcoming January 2027 elections.