The National Executive Council (NEC) of Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) has condemned the sacking of 2,357 teachers, including the National President of the union, Audu Titus Amba, by the Kaduna State Government over failure of competency test.
The Council however, noted the President of the Union never took part in the competency test but boycotted it following a lawsuit ongoing against the state government and as such remains their President.
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Speaking to Journalists in Abuja after its NEC meeting on Wednesday, the Deputy National President, Sir Kelvin Nwankwo, said the case of the President clearly established the fact that the whole concept of competency test in Kaduna State is arbitrary and lacking in certainty.
“By virtue of the fact that he has been a Trade Union leader for over 22 years, engaged in day to day labour related assignments both within and outside Nigeria, he did not write the competency test in the year 2018. He was not dismissed then for failure to write the competency test. The question that readily agitates the mind in the circumstance is, what has changed in 2021/2022?”
Nwankwo said it is rather sad and curious that the dismissal letter relative to the NUT President was in the Public domain via the social media even when it has not been served on him.
“The intention clearly is to intimidate the NUT President and embarrass the Teachers in Nigeria. This like other anti labour and people policies of the Kaduna State Government has failed on arrival. We got news for His Excellency Mallam Nasiru El-Rufai and his co-travelers to wit:- power is transient.
“The NUT family hereby reaffirms its commitment to stand with its revered President Comrade Audu Titus Amba and all the teachers in Kaduna State, who have fallen victim of the anti labour policies in Kaduna State and which policies have defied all logic and lacking in milk of human kindness.”
The council said the Kaduna State Government’s purported Competency Test was held during the pendency of Suit No NICN/54/2021 before the National Industrial Court, Kaduna Division and Motion on Notice filed therein seeking to restrain it from conducting the said competency test.
Also that the dismissal of 2,357 Teachers was done during the pendency of another Motion on Notice seeking for an order restraining the Kaduna State Government from dismissing any Teacher in the Public Schools of Kaduna State for not writing and or passing its competency test.
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