BEVERLY HILLS, January 08, (THEWILL) –
Nasir El-Rufai, Governor of Kaduna, has threatened to fire any teacher who embarks on strike.
THEWILL reports that the Kaduna State Wing of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), has directed its member to commence indefinite strike on Monday, Jan. 8, over the sack of 21,780 public primary school teachers in the state.
This is contained in a notice of strike dated Jan. 4, 2018, signed by the union’s Assistant Secretary General, Adamu Anglo.
THEWILL recalls that the teachers were sacked for allegedly failing to score 75 per cent pass mark of the competency test organised by the state government in June 2017.
The notice, circulated to all the union executives in the 23 local government areas of the state indicated that a two weeks ultimatum was earlier issued to the state government to reverse its decision.
According to the union, the decision has become necessary after the state government began issuing sack letters to the affected teachers after the Christmas and New Year holidays.
Responding to the teachers, Samuel Aruwan, Spokesman of the Governor, in a statement, described the directive as illegal insisting that the state government would not be blackmailed into retaining unqualified teachers.
He said the registers would be opened at schools and any teacher that is absent from work would be dealt with according to public service rules.
“The Kaduna state government wishes to inform the public that it has instructed its education administrators to open registers in all its schools, starting from Monday, 8th January 2018,” the statement read.
“Any teacher that is absent from work will be treated with the consequences that pertain to absconding from duty under the public service rules.
“There can be no doubt that KDSG will take firm and decisive disciplinary action against personnel who absent themselves from duty, including dismissal from service.
“This is an illegal action, and will not achieve its aim of derailing the education reforms being implemented by the government.
“The Kaduna state government is not available to be blackmailed into knowingly retaining unqualified teachers. Neither would it mortgage the future of two million primary school pupils because failed teachers are shamelessly mobilising sentiment.
“KDSG recalls that the NUT placed primary school pupils, who are the victims of failing teachers, in danger by pushing them into the streets to demonstrate for the retention of bad teachers.
“That ruse failed. Some union leaders are also likely to be prosecuted for assault, unlawful procession and destruction of public property when they attacked the state house of assembly.”
