Governor Nasir El-Rufai has vowed to dismiss all the nurses and lecturers and other state workers who have so far participated in the ongoing protest by the National Labour Congress, NLC, in the state.
In a statement released by his spokesperson, Muyiwa Adekeye, today May 18, the governor said the state government would not “tolerate the brazen shutdown of electricity, attack on public infrastructure and buildings, locking up hospitals and forcefully discharging patients, unlawful trespass into public facilities and the wanton use of coercion and restraints of personal freedom by the NLC”.
The governor vowed to prosecute the nurses of the Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital who allegedly disconnected the oxygen supply of a two-day-old baby in an incubator on Monday, 17th May 2021 so they could join the NLC strike. He said the names of the three nurses from the Special Baby Care Unit (SBCU) who were involved in the act have been forwarded to the Ministry of Justice to initiate prosecution for attempted murder or murder in the event we lose the baby. He said staff of the state university who do not report to work will be dismissed.
The governor said the actions of the NLC is equivalent to bandits.
Read the full statement below
”Today, the Kaduna State Government reviewed the sundry criminal actions that have defined the campaign of economic and social sabotage and lawlessness waged by the NLC.
KDSG considers as unacceptable the serial violations of the Miscellaneous Offences Act and the Trade Union Act that have occurred over the last two days. The state government commends citizens for remaining calm amidst this assault on their rights and comfort and their businesses.
However, KDSG cannot be expected to tolerate the brazen shutdown of electricity, attack on public infrastructure and buildings, locking up hospitals and forcefully discharging patients, unlawful trespass into public facilities and the wanton use of coercion and restraints of personal freedom by the NLC.
Efforts to dress up criminal activity as industrial action do not change the reality of the lawbreaking that has unfolded, including their persistently ignoring the prohibition against impeding essential services. Also, KDSG cannot ignore the illegal pressures brought to disrupt the operations of banks and other private business whose staff and customers do not have any industrial dispute with the state or any other government.
KDSG acknowledges doctors and some other categories of health workers that are trying to run public health facilities, but regrets that some nurses have joined the unlawful strike and engaged in sabotage of some of our health facilities. Nurses were implicated in the forceful discharge of patients in many health facilities.
Reports from Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital disclosed that some identified nurses disconnected the oxygen supply of a two-day old baby in an incubator on Monday, 17th May 2021. The names of the three nurses from the Special Baby Care Unit (SBCU) who were involved in this despicable act have been forwarded to the Ministry of Justice to initiate prosecution for attempted murder or murder in the event we lose the baby.
In addition, KDSG has decided the following:
1. Ayuba Wabba and his senior confederates in the NLC are declared wanted, and will be vigorously prosecuted for violations of the Penal Code of Kaduna State, the Miscellaneous Offences and the Trade Dispute (Essential Services) Acts. They are advised to report to the Ministry of Justice and the Police Headquarters to take their statements;
2. The Ministry of Health will dismiss all nurses below GL 14 for going on an unlawful strike. Salaries that could have gone to them are to be given as extraordinary occupational allowances to the health workers who are at their duty posts to fill the gap of those absconding from duty. The Ministry of Health has been directed to advertise vacancies for the immediate recruitment of new nurses to replace those dismissed;
3. Any academic staff of KASU that does not report for work will be dismissed. The authorities of KASU are to submit a copy of the attendance register for all categories of staff daily to the Secretary to the State Governemnt and the Commissioner of Education;
4. All MDAs are also to submit daily copies of attendance register to the Head of Service;
KDSG views the actions of the NLC as equivalent to the actions of the bandits kidnapping and menacing our citizens. Bandits illegally use arms, but the NLC is deploying mob action for exactly the same ends: trying to hold hostage the freedoms, economic interests, livelihoods and resources of the people of Kaduna State. It is a vain expectation that this government will respond differently to sets of unlawful actions that have the same ends.
KDSG will not submit its treasury to the entitled minority. We will reform and rightsize our public service to meet the needs and resources of the Kaduna State even if the NLC strikes ad infinitum. The government remains committed to using all the resources it can generate to serve the interests of the majority of its citizens, providing social services beyond paying salaries, always putting the interests of the many ahead of the few.”
Meanwhile, The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba, and other leaders of the congress have been attacked by thugs who disrupted the peaceful protest they led to the state government house on Tuesday morning May 18.
Wabba led the protest hours after the state governor, Nasir El-Rufai, declared him wanted for leading a protest in the state on Monday, May 17. According to Governor El-Rufai, Wabba is wanted for economic sabotage.
Ignoring the declaration of the governor, the NLC leaders began a march to the state government office. However, as they marched through NEPA roundabout, suspected thugs who drove in two vehicles and KEKE NAPEP, started throwing stones at them. Some of the thugs covered their faces as they wielded knives and sticks.
Police and other security personnel guarding the protesters were however able to repel the thugs with tear gas and one of them was later nabbed by the protesting workers and handed over to the Police.
It is yet to be ascertained who sent the thugs to disrupt the protest.
