The Kaduna State Illegally Disengaged Teachers Forum has urged Governor Uba Sani to facilitate the immediate payment of their outstanding entitlements, citing years of hardship following their dismissal in 2017 under former Governor, Nasiru El-Rufai’s administration.
Addressing a press conference at Arewa House on Tuesday, the forum’s State Coordinator, Aminu Maitama, criticized the competency test conducted before their dismissal, alleging that it was not a fair assessment but rather a strategy to reduce the state’s workforce.
“The governor who sacked us is now seeing the hand of God all over the place. It is deeply unfair to treat teachers—who have contributed to the state’s educational development—in such a heartless manner,” Maitama stated.
The El-Rufai administration had dismissed 21,000 out of 30,000 primary school teachers, citing poor performance in competency tests. However, Maitama claimed he personally scored 70 percent—an above-average result—yet was still terminated, suggesting that many other teachers were unfairly affected across the state’s 23 Local Government Areas.
“I believe the mass sacking was more about cutting salary costs than genuinely improving the standard of education in Kaduna State,” he added.
The forum appealed to Governor Uba Sani to revisit their case, expressing confidence that his administration would show compassion and take immediate action to address their plight.
They also commended the governor for releasing ₦548 million to the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) Endwell Scheme, which had been withheld by the previous administration.
In addition, the group called for the conduct of a fresh competency test to allow them to prove their qualifications and regain their jobs.
“We believe the governor will sympathize with us and take the necessary steps to address this injustice,” they said.