Governor El-Rufai slams teachers for allegedly using pupils for protests in Kaduna state

macfranc007 November 08, 2017 Nigeria News today & Breaking news ▷ Read Nigerian newspapers 24/7 Kess Ewubare

- The Kaduna state government warns that it will not tolerate the reckless endangerment of minors by adults who are sending them to the streets

It called on parents to be vigilant and report any attempt to use their children to threaten law and order to the relevant authorities

- The Kaduna state chapter of the Nigerian Union of Teachers has issued Governor Nasir El-Rufai a two-week ultimatum to rescind his decision to sack over 21,000 teachers

The Kaduna state government has accused teachers in the state who failed the competency test of sending primary school pupils for demonstrations.

The government in a statement signed by Samuel Aruwan, spokesperson to Governor Nasir El-Rufai on Tuesday, November 7, warned that the government will not tolerate the reckless endangerment of minors by adults who are sending them to the streets.

The statement disclosed that the government was outraged by the exploitation of young children by the unqualified teachers and added that it would will take legal measures to punish the wrongdoers.

It said: “Government condemns this wanton disregard for the lives and safety of primary school pupils placed in the care of these unqualified teachers. It is grievous enough that bad teachers have been allowed to imperil the educational future of these children.

“But for these same teachers to endanger the children by asking them to block and lie on highways illustrates a chilling level of irresponsibility that no law-governed society can accept.

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“When parents send their children to school, they place pupils in the care of their teachers during school hours. Parents rightly do not expect teachers to teach their children hooliganism or endanger these minors by involving them in matters they are too young to understand."

The state government called on parents to be vigilant and report any attempt to use their children to threaten law and order to the relevant authorities.

See the full statement from the government below:

Meanwhile, the Kaduna state chapter of the Nigerian Union of Teachers has issued Governor Nasir El-Rufai a two-week ultimatum to rescind his decision to sack over 21,000 teachers who were said to have failed the recent competency test conducted for primary school teachers or it will commence on an indefinite strike action.

Daily Trust reports that the notice served via a letter to the governor takes effect from Monday, November 6 to November 23.

According to Comrade Adamu Ango, the assistant secretary general of the union, who signed the letter, at the expiration of the ultimatum, the union would embark on an industrial action in compliance with the wishes of its members expressed at the meeting of the state executive council which was held on Monday, November 6.