Kankara: Teachers’ Union Threatens Nationwide Strike Over Insecurity

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has reacted to the abduction of over 300 schoolboys of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State, with a threat to call its members to down tools nationwide if the Federal Government failed to improve security around schools across the country.

“…the Nigeria Union of Teachers may be compelled to down tools pending when it is safe for our members to teach and guide our pupils and students without fear of abduction by these faceless enemies of educational prosperity of the Nigerian nation,” said Dr Mike Ike Ene, Secretary-General of NUT in a statement on Tuesday.

Citing a number of instances where teachers and students have been abducted from their schools, the union said it would not fold her hands and watch enemies of educational development threaten the nation’s educational system to suffocation.

“The National leadership of the Nigeria Union of Teachers is highly disturbed by the re-emerging incidence of school invasion and abduction of teachers and students across the country’s educational institutions,” the statement reads.

“The wicked and merciless hands of anti-education terrorist clinched Mr Alu Ola Paul a Headteacher with Olagua Primary School Ohordua in Edo State and Kidnapped him on his way to work on the 1st December 2020 and released six days later.”

“In the same view on the 8th December 2020, Mrs Gladys Niemogha Belleh and Mrs Blessing Emunefe both of whom are teachers of Ohorhe Secondary School Effurun in Delta State were kidnapped in their school premises by armed bandits and are yet to be released, thereby throwing both families, students, and the school community into emotional and overall destabilization.”

“Similarly, the Night of Friday 11th December 2020 Government Science Secondary School Kankara in Katsina State, was invaded by armed bandits with reports that 333 students are yet to be accounted for as at today, this dastardly act has sent shivers through the spine of other members of the entire school community of Katsina state.”

NUT lamented that these “incidences are sad reminders of previous ugly events in Chibok and Dapchi, where Boko Haram terrorists had attacked and abducted students creating a monumental disruption of school activities….”

It warned that the bandits attack on schools, if not immediately addressed would largely affect the 2019/2020 academic calender which has already been disrupted by the six months long lockdown caused by the COVID- 19 pandemic.

While it called on the governments to be alive to their constitutional responsibility of providing security of lives and properties, NUT said it was becoming clear that the government can not provide security and safety of teachers, students and the educational community across Nigeria.

 As such we wish to remind our government at all levels, of their primary responsibility as enshrined in the constitution which is the security of lives and property of the entire Nigerian citizens. 

“This unfortunate situation must be addressed without further contemplation,” it said.

“NUT unequivocally call on the Federal, States and Local government to ensure adequate security and 24-hour surveillance around our schools. Also, the government must begin to consider the implementation of Life Insurance and Hazard Allowance to teachers in our Basic and Senior Secondary Schools as approved by His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR on the occasion of the World Teachers’ Day 2020.”

HumAngle reports that hundreds of schoolboys were abducted from their school on the night of Friday, December 11 by gunmen. 

Over 300 of them are still missing while the terror group, Boko Haram has already claimed responsibility for the abduction, noting that it was part of its campaign against western education.