By Amos Tauna, Kaduna
The Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), has expressed regret of violent outburst at a political rally allegedly organized by the former governor of Kaduna State, Malami Nasir El-Rufai in one its edifices.
Addressing newsmen in Kaduna on Sunday, the National President of Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Comrade Audu Titus Amba, said, ” NUT completely dissociate itself with what happened on Saturday by former governor Nasir El-Rufai using one of our edifices to hold his political meeting. If we had known earlier, nobody would have given El-Rufai the approval to hold any meeting there.”
He explained that teachers in Kaduna State started a contribution known as “END well”, saying that the contribution is meant to help them fold their hands on when the need raises or after retirement could help them begin new life being paid their final entitlements.
According to him, the contribution started in 1999 by primary and secondary school teachers in the state following the incident of for military governor, Ahmed Ali, where many workers were laid off, adding that a good number to teachers through their contributions were able to build houses and other things that could help them.
Amba, who is also the deputy National President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) stated that immediately after assumption of office by El-Rufai, the verification exercise started leading to the death of many teachers through bomb blast and thousands were sacked by the same government without paying their entitlements till day.
Worst still, he lamented that it was the same El-Rufai as governor of the state, following the verification, many workers including teachers missed their salaries for months and others for a year.
He further explained that the scheme where the teachers were making contributions every month was scrapped by El-Rufai, stressing that all efforts to make the governor to see reason for the need of the scheme felt on deaf ears.
According to him, “The same scheme which gave birth to the NUT hotel that former governor Nasir El-Rufai stood against is the same place without shame to host the inauguration of a transition committee formed by opposition parties in Kaduna State.
“The NUT hotel is owned by teachers in the state. If teachers were aware El-Rufai will have a meeting there, they would have not allowed him access to their property which he (El-Rufai) didn’t wanted to see it come to life.”
