Despite Gov El-Rufai’s sack threat, Kaduna teachers commence indefinite strike

Kaduna teachers in public secondary and primary schools on Monday commenced indefinite strike action not minding the state Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s threats to sack anyone who took part in the industrial action.

The teachers had following alleged job security and welfare issues in the state, notified that they were going to embark on an indefinite strike until the state government met their demands.

In its response, the state government had in a statement released by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the governor, Samuel Aruwan, vowed to take action against teachers in the state that will participate in industrial action.

“There can be no doubt that Kaduna State government will take firm and decisive disciplinary action against personnel who absent themselves from duty, including dismissal from service.

“Kaduna State government recalls that the (Nigerian Union of Teachers) 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.”

However, not minding the governor’s threat, the state NUT on Monday called out it’s members to commence an indefinite strike.

According to reports from the state, many government owned schools in Kaduna metropolis only had security guards in their premises as students and teachers remained at home.

A major reason for the strike it was learnt was to protest the governor’s insistence on the sack of about 22, 000 teachers in the state who failed the state assessment text.

The state NUT is contending that the sack was not done in accordance with civil service rules. It said that since majority of the teachers passed the so called examination with more than 60 per cent, that there was no justification for the governor to fix 75 per cent as pass mark.

READ ALSO: INVESTIGATION… Designed by Okorocha, executed by DANA, Imo Air is a story of grand deception

On November 6, 2017, the NUT had given the state government two weeks to reverse its decision to sack the 22, 000 teachers, after the union obtained an injunction from the National Industrial Court, Kaduna, restraining the state government from disengaging any teacher until the determination of the substantive suit on the matter.

But following alleged issuing of sack letters to the affected teachers by Kaduna State government during the Christmas and New Year holidays, NUT is said to have decided to embark on the strike.

The union as learnt, is also calling on the state government to pay the 2015 leave transport grant of 3,338 primary school teachers, and that of all public school teachers for 2016 and 2017. NUT is further asking for the payment of salary arrears of over 15,000 primary school teachers from June 2015 to July 2016, and full payment of salaries of teachers whose names were omitted after screening and those being under paid.

 

RipplesNigeria… without borders, without fears

Click here to join the Ripples Nigeria WhatsApp group for latest updates.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now