NUT Decries Use Of Its Edifice For Political Violence In Kaduna

*Says el-Rufai punished teachers while governor

By; AMOS TAUNA, Kaduna

The Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), has expressed regrets over violent outburst at a political rally allegedly organized by a former governor of Kaduna State, Malam 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 dissociates itself from what happened on Saturday by former Governor Nasir el-Rufai, using one of our edifices to hold his political meetings. 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 not to fold their hands when the need arises, or after retirement, it 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 former military governor, Ahmed Ali, where many workers were laid off, adding that a good number of 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), said that immediately after assumption of office by el-Rufai, the verification exercise started leading to the death of many teachers through bomb blasts and thousands were sacked by the same government without paying their entitlements till date.

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 reasons fell 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 not have allowed him access to their property which he (el-Rufai) didn’t want to see come to life.”