From Osaigboro Iguobaro, Benin, with agency report
Teachers in Edo state yesterday sued the government at the National Industrial Court (NIC) in Akure over its plan to conduct a competency test for them.
Other defendants in the suit are Edo State Ministry of Basic Education; Edo State Ministry of Secondary Technical and Tertiary Education and the Edo State Universal Basic Education Board among others.
The teachers, in the suit filed under the aegis of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), are among others, contending that they are statutory employees and that based on their status, their employment could not be determined by the state government on the basis of competency test without recourse to relevant Civil Service Rules governing their employment.
In the suit filed by their counsel, Mr James Abah, the teachers are praying for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants or their agents from terminating their employments.
They said their employments could only be terminated in accordance with a procedure in compliance with the Edo State of Nigeria Civil Service Rule (revised to 1st of January, 2006) which governs their employment.
They also said the regulation as to the competence and standards of knowledge attainable for teachers to practice as such and be employed as such was the exclusive function of the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN).
Similarly, secondary school teachers in the state have equally dragged the state government to the same court over the proposed assessment test.
They said only TRCN could determine the standard of knowledge and skill to be attained by teachers in the country.
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