From Obinna Odogwu, Abakaliki

The national leadership of the Nigerian Union of Teachers, (NUT), yesterday, berated the governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, for promulgating what they called anti-teachers policies. They claimed that the governor came up with his competency test to embarrass them.

They said that the governor lacks qualification and competence to set examinations for teachers when there is Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) saddled with such responsibility. At a press conference held at Teachers’ House, Abakaliki, the capital of Ebonyi State after the National Executive Council meeting of the union presided by its National President, Michael Alogba Olukoya, the union called on Gov. el-Rufai to retrace his steps.

“The governor of Kaduna State has made up his mind to embarrass the teachers; to disgrace the teachers. There are rules that govern tests and measurements; measurement is a course on 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, they were not standard questions.”

The union said that el-Rufai lacks leadership qualities, hence, his incompetence to handle matters concerning workers with high level of diligence it requires. “But when it comes to democratic traits, we are disappointed” the NUT declared.

“Teachers are democrats; Kaduna State Government should respect the rule of law. They don’t have to wake up from the comfort of their room and administer questions for teachers in the name of interviews, it is never done. Whatever we have to do, let it be based on the rule of law, we should do things that are legal. Anybody could call a dog bad name because you want to hang it.”

Lamenting further, the union said: “Often times too, government has deliberately set itself against the NUT with its anti-people policies, thereby throwing an open invitation to confrontation with the Union, which has continued to exhibit a high level of maturity and decorum in the interest of peace.

“This disposition of the union has, however, unfortunately been misconstrued for docility and incompetence, which is never the case, and we are today forced to take up the challenge of leadership in defence of the over one million Nigerian teachers who have been subjected to all forms of inhuman treatment by the government of the day”, the union added.