Recall that we reported that the teachers obtained an injuction from the Kaduna State Industrial Court, which forbade the government from sacking affected teachers pending the determination of the case before the industrial court.
However, The Nations reports that the chairman, Kaduna NUT, Comrade Audu Amba and the assistant secretary-gneral Comrade Ango Adamu, noted they were surprised when the governor said the court was wrong in granting the injunction because the teachers were sacked before the court order.
Their words: “Our attention has also been drawn to the fact that the government, despite the service of the order of interlocutory injunction on it, is now making efforts to frustrate the outcome of the suit, by directing the Education Secretaries in all local government areas to collect backdated letters of disengagement from service for onward distribution to teachers.
“We are appalled by the governor’s pronouncement as aforesaid. Our belief is that the accepted norm in all civilised societies is for the government to appeal the decision of the National Industrial Court, instead of resorting to an unfounded criticism of same.
“We believe that the rule of law is the bedrock of democracy, and any government/institution that refuses to bow to the dictates of the rule of law automatically loses its legitimacy.
“We, therefore, implore and appeal to the government’s conscience, and all its institutions, to subordinate themselves to the judicial powers the court, as enshrined in Section 6 (A) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which is our organic law from which governments at all levels exist and draw their legitimacy.”
