By Usman Ibn A. Lapai Kaduna
The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Kaduna state wing has raised the alarm that the state governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai was making desperate efforts to frustrate the interlocutory injunction stopping the sack of its over 21, 000 teachers in state.
It would be recalled that the state government had planned the sack of the primary schools teachers said to have failed a competency test, which resulted in the umbrella body approaching the National Industrial Court seeking interlocutory injunction, which was granted.
But in a press conference addressed by its state chairman, Comrade Audu T. Amba, and Assistant Secretary, Comrade Ango Adamu, yesterday, the NUT expressed concern that the governor, in a radio programme aired on the state media outfit, 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.
“Our attention has also been drawn to the fact that the Kaduna state government, despite the service of the interlocutory injunction, 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/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 subject themselves to the judicial powers of our law courts as enshrined under Section 6 A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which is our organic law from which government at all levels exist and draw their legitimacy,” NUT said.
