reopen their schools or face vote of no confidence from them.
In the wake
of crisis in southern Kaduna in December 2016, the Kafanchan campus of Kaduna
State University, College of Education, Gidan Waya, as well as School of
Nursing, Kafanchan were closed by the state government for security reasons.
Addressing a
press conference, on Tuesday, National President, SKYSFOM, Galadima Jesse said,
“We wish to start by expressing our dissatisfaction and disappointment with the
administration of Governor Nasir El- Rufai.
“It is a
Government that has no regard for the freedom of expression as enshrined in our
constitution.
“However,
our three weeks ultimatum which commenced on 12thJune, 2017 for the governor to
reopen the schools still stands, and we intend to pass vote of no confidence on
the governor if he refuses to reopen our schools after the ultimatum.
“He has also
no regard for the educational advancement of the people of Southern Kaduna and
the institutions located within the zone.
“It all
started on 12th June 2017, when we were supposed to address the world and plead
with the Governor on the reopening of our tertiary schools through the media,
but to our greatest dismay, you were witnesses to the harassment we faced by
heavily armed policemen set to truncate our civil way of advocacy through the
barricading of the NUJ secretariat by fully armed policemen.
“The main
issue we want Nigerians to know is the despicable and inhumane treatment meted
to students through the closure of the College of Education, Gidan Waya, the
Kafanchan Campus of the Kaduna State University and the School of Nursing,
Kafanchan.
“These
schools were closed down since December 2016 and up to now, they remained
closed. Infact, the Kafanchan Campus of the Kaduna State University was closed
down on the 19th of December, 2016 and has remained closed since.
“College of
Education Gidan Waya was also officially closed on the 20th of December 2016
but educational activities were already paralysed since late October due to the
attacks on communities close to the school that wasn’t quickly tackled.
“The reasons
given by the State Government is ‘insecurity’.
We find that laughable, ridiculous and an indictment on the government.
“Assuming
that the excuse of insecurity is valid, then how come all other schools –
private and public, state institutions, state agencies, markets and so many
other institutions and facilities have been open all these while?
“Doesn’t the
continued closure of the three tertiary institutions indict the Government that
it has been unable to secure it citizens?
“Isn’t it also
an indictment and an indirect way of saying that the security personnel drafted
to Southern Kaduna, including a permanent military formation, is directly
telling us that it is not able to secure the three schools?
“Can the
state Governor explain to us why the University of Maiduguri that has been
persistently attacked and bombed remains open today, while the tertiary
institutions in Southern Kaduna, that have never been attacked or bombed should
be closed for close to a year?
“Is the
State Governor still trying to give a wrong impression to the outside world
that Southern Kaduna is still in crisis when peace has returned to the zone?
“Which is
more difficult; to reopen the Kafanchan Campus of KASU and continue with normal
lectures, or transfer the students to the main campus in Kaduna, as the
Governor is trying to do? We say no to that.
“Isn’t it
ironic that while the three tertiary schools in Kafanchan remain deliberately
locked, the Governor is busy trying to increase his educational laurels at the
University – Merit in the Netherlands as a part-time PhD student? Then why is
he denying other young Nigerians their right to also get educated? We are sure
it’s because none of his children attends any of the closed schools.
“With all
these, we make bold to say that Governor Nasir El-rufai is deliberately and
methodically trying to slow down the educational growth of the people of
Southern Kaduna and the institutions located within. This is a serious crime
against humanity that the Governor is guilty of and we make bold to say that we
the students will lawfully and legally resist him.
“Consequently,
we demand the immediate reopening of the tertiary schools in Kafanchan so that
our members can go back and continue with their studies, because this same
Governor has told the world that normalcy has returned to Southern Kaduna, then
why is the Governor contradicting himself by ensuring the schools remain closed
through the guise of insecurity? We say no to that!
“We call on
all our members of the affected institutions never to get frustrated to the
point of throwing away the garb of civility that we have been pursuing this
issue. We assure them that we will never
rest until they return back to school.
“In the
meantime, we are organizing educating programs to engage their minds within the
idle period”.
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