Sack of 22,000 Kaduna teachers: NUT vows to begin strike Nov 6

From Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Kaduna state wing has given the state government two weeks ultimatum for the commencement of an indefinite strike action to be embarked upon by teachers in public primary and secondary schools.
NUT stated this in a letter addressed to Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, signed by its Assistant Secretary General, Comrade Adamu Ango and made to the media yesterday.
According to the letter, the notice is effective from 6th November and expires on 23rdNovember.
The NUT said the purportedly state conducted competent test for all teachers in public primary schools was a mistake because the law empowered to regulate the teaching profession is clear.
The letter reads in part; “That it was agreed by all stakeholders in the educational sector that the pass mark for the competency test be pegged at 60 per cent while those who are unable to score up to 60 per cent be retrained.
“However, in a classical display of bad faith which started as a rumour, the Kaduna State Government unilaterally and arbitrarily pegged the pass mark for the competency test at an unprecedented 75 per cent.
“That, the NUT, Kaduna State Wing wrote a letter to you, appealing to your conscience to rescind the decision above, but as usual, you ignored the letter and went ahead with your avowed determination to impose your will against the consensus of bonafide stakeholders in the educational sector.
“All the above, leaves the Kaduna State Wing of the NUT with no option other than to serve the instant notice in compliance with the wishes of its members expressed at the meeting of the State Wing Executive Council held today, the 6th November, 2017.”
Similarly, students from public primary and secondary schools embarked on a street protest to express their dissatisfaction with the purported disengagement of teachers by Kaduna state government.