News Editor
Peter Jerome
The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) has charged the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, to immediately and unconditionally reinstate all the workers he sacked from the state public service.
This was contained in a Press statement signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the Party, Kola Ologbondiyan. The party in the statement, express shock over alarming reports that the el-Rufai-led All Progressives Congress (APC) government in Kaduna state had sacked about 70,000 workers since 2016, describing such as wicked, insensitive and unacceptable, particularly under the current economic hardship foisted on our nation by the APC administration.
“It is even more worrisome that in its arrogant insensitivity, the Kaduna state government dismissed many of the workers without recourse to laid down due disengagement processes and benefits as prescribed by the extant labour laws.
The party while condemning El-Rufai for overstepping the law by declaring the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) Ayuba Wabba wanted as well as ordering the sack of health workers and lecturers for joining in peaceful solidarity procession with the sacked workers, insisted that the right of citizens to peaceful protest is fully guaranteed in the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and charged Governor El-Rufai to douse the tensed situation by coming down from his high horse, rescind his position and listen to the people.
“Governor El-Rufai must understand that we are in a democratic nation governed by law; where sovereignty belongs to the people, and not a dictatorial regime as being witnessed in the attitude of the Kaduna state government towards workers.
The country’s major opposition political party expressed worries over the fact that some of those involved in this anti-people disposition are seen as aspiring to hold the position of President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, pointing out that the workers in Kaduna are citizens of Nigeria therefore, their wellbeing and rights under the law must be respected.
Furthermore, the silence by the APC, as a party, to the situation in Kaduna the PDP said, has betrayed its support for the suppressive measures of the Kaduna state government as well as the unleashing of thugs to attack the workers.
The party, however, urged the NLC and the workers to remain calm and law abiding in the pursuit of their demands despite the provocation by the Kaduna state government, while efforts are being made to find solution to the matter.
