The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) Kaduna State wing has raised the alarm that the state governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai is making ‘desperate’ efforts to frustrate the interlocutory injunction stopping the sack of teachers in Kaduna state pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
It would be recalled that the state government had planned the sack of over 21,780 primary schools teachers said to have failed a competency test, which resulted in the umbrella body of the teachers to approach the National Industrial court and sought for an interlocutory injunction which was granted.
But the NUT in a press conference addressed by its state chairman Comrade Audu T. Amba and Assistant Secretary General of NUT and State NLC chairman Comrade Ango Adamu expressed surprise and disbelief when according to them, the governor in a radio program aired on the State media outfit (KSMC) posited that the court was wrong in granting the interlocutory injunction, stressing that the teachers who failed the competency test were already disengaged before the court order.
NUT however said that, “Our attentions have also been drawn to the fact that the Kaduna state government despite the service of the order interlocutory injunction onbit 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 backed dated letters of disengagement from service for onward distribution to teachers in their respective local governments.
“We are appelled/taken aback by the pronouncement of the governor as aforesaid. Our believe is that the accepted norm in all civilized 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/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 andbappeal to the conscience of the Kaduna State governor and all its institutions to subordinate themselves to the judicial powers ofbour 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”, he said.