In a passionate plea to the Kaduna State Government, over 21,000 disengaged teachers have called on Governor Uba Sani to urgently address their unpaid entitlements.
The teachers, who were dismissed in 2017 under the administration of then-Governor Nasiru El-Rufai, gathered at a press conference on February 25, 2025, at Arewa House to voice their ongoing struggles.
The group, known as the Kaduna State Illegally Disengaged Teachers Forum, claims they are enduring severe hardship due to their dismissal.
Aminu Maitama, the State Coordinator of the Forum, emphasized that the competency test used as grounds for their sacking was not conducted fairly, but rather as a means to reduce the number of government-employed teachers.
“We are happy that the Governor who sacked us is already seeing the hand of God all over the place. It is unfair to treat teachers, who contributed their quota to educational development in the State, in such a heartless manner,” Maitama said, referencing the original decision by El-Rufai to dismiss 21,000 out of 30,000 teachers who failed the competency test.
Maitama further stated that despite scoring above average—achieving a score of 70 percent in the test—he and many other teachers were still dismissed, questioning the fairness of the process.
“I think what El-Rufai did was to sack the teachers to reduce the cost of salary payments without recourse to the standard of teaching and education in the State,” he added.
The teachers have appealed to Governor Uba Sani, whom they described as compassionate, to reconsider their case and ensure that they receive the entitlements owed to them.
“We strongly believe that the Governor from all indications would sympathize with us and do the needful immediately,” said Maitama.
In their statement, the teachers also commended Governor Sani for his recent decision to release N548 million to the Nigerian Union of Teachers Endwell scheme, which had been withheld under the previous administration.
They expressed hope that this gesture would signal the Governor’s willingness to act on their plight as well.
The teachers are urging the government to conduct a new competency test to verify their eligibility and restore their dignity, while also calling for an immediate resolution of their financial entitlements.