The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Kaduna State on
Wednesday, December 26, tackled Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, the Governor
of Kaduna State, over the sacking of over twenty-one thousand
(21,000) teachers who failed a Primary Four competency test
conducted by the Kaduna State government.
The government subsequently advertised for vacant positions of
the sacked teachers, and in a bid to prevent this, the NUT sought
for the intervention of the National Industrial Court (NIC).
Judgement was given in favor of the teachers.
According to THE PUNCH however, in a radio interview on the
state-owned Kaduna Media Corporation, El-rufai said the teachers
had been sacked before the judgment of the NIC.
The Governor further went ahead to lash out at the leadership of
the NUT for patronizing private primary schools, allowing public
primary schools in Kaduna State to rot away.
According to him, an investigation carried out indicated that no
children of the NUT leaders in Kaduna State was attending public
primary schools.
El-Rufai had said, ”My son, Abubakar Sadiq, is four years old
now. In the next two years when he is six, whether or not I am the
governor of Kaduna State, I will enrol him in a public primary
school and I urge other public officials in Kaduna to do the
same.”
The NUT chairman in Kaduna, Mr. Audu Amba who spoke during a
media briefing, called on the governor to obey the court order.
Quoting the NUT leader, “Our attention has also been drawn to
the fact that the Kaduna State Government despite the service of
the order of interlocutory injunction on it, is now making frantic
and desperate efforts to frustrate the outcome of the suit in court
by directing the education secretaries in all local government
areas to come over to SUBEB and collect back-dated letters of
disengagement from service for onward distribution to teachers in
their respective local governments.
“We are appalled by the pronouncement of the governor as
aforesaid. Our belief is that the accepted norm in all civilised
societies is for the Kaduna State Government to appeal against the
decision of the National Industrial Court instead of resorting to
an unfounded criticism of same.
“We believe that the rule of law is the bedrock of democracy and
any government or institution that refuses to bow to the dictates
of the rule of law automatically loses its legitimacy to
superintend the affairs of its citizenry.
“We therefore implore and appeal to the conscience of the Kaduna
State governor and all its institutions to subordinate themselves
to the judicial powers of our law courts as enshrined under section
6a of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) which is our organic law
from which government at all levels exist and draw their
legitimacy.”
The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Kaduna State on
Wednesday, December 26, tackled Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, the Governor
of Kaduna State, over the sacking of over twenty-one thousand
(21,000) teachers who failed a Primary Four competency test
conducted by the Kaduna State government.
The government subsequently advertised for vacant positions of
the sacked teachers, and in a bid to prevent this, the NUT sought
for the intervention of the National Industrial Court (NIC).
Judgement was given in favor of the teachers.
According to THE PUNCH however, in a radio interview on the
state-owned Kaduna Media Corporation, El-rufai said the teachers
had been sacked before the judgment of the NIC.
The Governor further went ahead to lash out at the leadership of
the NUT for patronizing private primary schools, allowing public
primary schools in Kaduna State to rot away.
According to him, an investigation carried out indicated that no
children of the NUT leaders in Kaduna State was attending public
primary schools.
El-Rufai had said, ”My son, Abubakar Sadiq, is four years old
now. In the next two years when he is six, whether or not I am the
governor of Kaduna State, I will enrol him in a public primary
school and I urge other public officials in Kaduna to do the
same.”
The NUT chairman in Kaduna, Mr. Audu Amba who spoke during a
media briefing, called on the governor to obey the court order.
Quoting the NUT leader, “Our attention has also been drawn to
the fact that the Kaduna State Government despite the service of
the order of interlocutory injunction on it, is now making frantic
and desperate efforts to frustrate the outcome of the suit in court
by directing the education secretaries in all local government
areas to come over to SUBEB and collect back-dated letters of
disengagement from service for onward distribution to teachers in
their respective local governments.
“We are appalled by the pronouncement of the governor as
aforesaid. Our belief is that the accepted norm in all civilised
societies is for the Kaduna State Government to appeal against the
decision of the National Industrial Court instead of resorting to
an unfounded criticism of same.
“We believe that the rule of law is the bedrock of democracy and
any government or institution that refuses to bow to the dictates
of the rule of law automatically loses its legitimacy to
superintend the affairs of its citizenry.
“We therefore implore and appeal to the conscience of the Kaduna
State governor and all its institutions to subordinate themselves
to the judicial powers of our law courts as enshrined under section
6a of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) which is our organic law
from which government at all levels exist and draw their
legitimacy.”