Leadership crisis splits Taraba NUT

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), in Taraba State, has split into two unions following a  leadership tussle.

The crisis started last week following an election for the new state executives on November 24, during which Mr Nathan Solomon was elected chairman along with other executive members.

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Mr Solomon defeated Mr Asoushi Bulus and three other candidates with a very wide margin to emerge the new state chairman.

The election, it was learnt, was adjudged by members of the union to be free and fair.

However, three days after the election, the defeated candidates, it was alleged, formed another association named Association of Basic Education Teachers, and  Mr Bulus was made the chairman.

The association, it was gathered, has the backing of the Taraba State Government who immediately after the formation of the association donated a brand new HiLux van and 18-seater bus to them.

It was also gathered that the newly elected executive members of the NUT were prevented from using their secretariats located along Donga road Jalingo on November 26 by the police.

The police also prevented the new exco from using the NUT House and chased them from the premises when they went there for the handing over ceremony.

The newly elected chairman of the NUT in the state, Mr Solomon, during a press conference in Jalingo on Sunday, accused the state government of causing division in the union.

He alleged that the state government encouraged the breakaway in the union by supporting those that lost the election to form a parallel body.

Solomon stated further that the election in which he was elected along with his new exco was free and fair with representatives of the NUT at the national level in attendance.

He said, “The election held in Donga was free and fair and supervised by representative of National president of the union, representative of the Nigeria Labour Congress and state government were also present.”

The chairman stated further that the new exco of the union have the support of all members in the 16 local government areas and as well gave them their mandate.

He also expressed dismay over the involvement of the police whom he accused of allowing themselves to be used by the state government in issue bordering on labour dispute.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the factional association, Bulus, had said during his inauguration on November 26 at  Taraba Motel, Jalingo that the NUT had no relevance and described NUT as a union of unscrupulous elements that were out to discredit Governor Darius Ishaku and his administration.

He said the association will be loyal to the government and will never be party to incite the teachers against the Taraba State.

When contacted over the issue, the spokesperson of the Taraba State Police Command, DSP Usman Abdullahi, said he was not aware that police sealed the NUT house.

A media aide to Governor Darius Ishaku also told Daily Trust that he was not aware of the issue.

He promised to find out and relate his finding which he never did as of the time of filing this report.