Education
THE Nigerian Union of Teachers, NUT, has condemned the plan by Kaduna state government to sack over 21,000 teachers for failing a competency test conducted in the state for Teachers.
Michael Alogba Olukoya, national president of the union, stated this in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, after the national executive council meeting of the union on Friday, November 10.
The NUT in rejecting the competency test said that, not only did the test not pass the test and measurement standard, but also it was illegal and unconstitutional.
“The Nigerian Union of Teachers totally condemn the decision by Kaduna State Government to sack over 21,000 teachers from its employment over purported incompetence based on an unstructured competency test. The Union strongly rejects in its entirety the purpose, intent, process and the outcome of the exercise and hereby call for the immediate cancellation of the results of the competency test.
“It is common knowledge that teaching is a profession regulated by a statutory and competent body, TRCN, which is saddled with the responsibility of administering test and the registration of Teachers. To do anything otherwise by the state government in this regard is an infringement on the profession and the extant laws of the land,” Olukoya said.
The NUT president expressed disappointed at the undemocratic actions of Nassir El Ruffai, Kaduna state governor, who it alleged had refused to heed the numerous calls by the union and other organisations to soft pedal on the matter and toe the part of dialogue.
“Teachers are democrats, Kaduna State government should respect the rule of law. They don’t have to wake up from comfort of their room and administer question for teachers in the name of interviews, it is never done. Whatever we have to do, let it be in the rule of law, we should do things that are legal. Anybody could call dog bad name because you want to hang it. The government of Kaduna has made up their minds to embarrass the teachers, to disgrace the teachers.
“There are rules that govern tense and measurements; measurement is a course
of its own in education. When you are not a professional you are administering questions for teachers that are professionals, it is never done. The test that is being administered by Kaduna state government has not passed tense and measurement questions, there are not standard questions.
“Let me say this without being the modest. Governor El’ Rufai is one of the people that are outspoken among the governors today. But when it comes to democratic traits, we are disappointed. We have written him even before now. Nigeria Labour Congress has written him. There is no organization that has not written to Governor El’Rufai but here you are. And we now begin to look at his antecedents. Even if you want to bring a change, it has to follow procedure and what we are saying is that Governor Rufai has been written but he has not replied us,” Olukoya said.
The union vowed to vehemently resist the planned mass sack of teachers of the Kaduna State government.
“The Union wishes to reiterate its stand to mobilize any attempt to sack teachers based on any illegal process. We hereby, strongly advise Kaduna state Government to focus on organising the necessary training and re-training of teachers through the relevant training facilities as it is incumbent upon the government to improve on the quality of teachers and school administration for enhanced productivity,” the union leader said.
The teachers also gave an ultimatum to states owing teachers salaries to clear them before end of the year.
“The Union totally condemn the inhuman treatment of teachers as is manifested in the unpaid arrears of salaries/pensions to teachers in Kogi, Benue and many other states ranging from 2-22 months, thus putting the teaming teachers in these states permanently in penury.
“The Union has decided against the background of all these unhealthy and unacceptable developments that enough is enough. There is no more time for rhetorics. The time is now for teachers to take their destiny into their hands to salvage the deteriorating condition that they have been forced into.
“The National Executive Council of the Union has therefore resolved that the governments of all the affected states owing salaries and pensions of teachers should offset such debts before the end of the year 2017, failing which the union will be left with no other option than to shut down schools in all the affected states,” he said.
– Nov 10, 2017 @ 16:55 GMT |
Tags: Michael Alogba Olukoya NUT rejects El Rufai’s competency test
