People’s Democratic Party, PDP has condemned what it terms as “illegal sacking” of 2,118 retirees of Local government staffs, including 1,600 staff of Primary Health Centres, by Governor Nasir El-Rufai in Kaduna state.
In a press statement signed by the State publicity secretary, PDP Kaduna state, Abraham Alberah Catoh, said that the move by Governor El-Rufai is callous and smacks off the insensitivity of the APC government to the plight of the good people of the kaduna state.
PDP further expressed that a government which asserts itself as a believer of the rule of law, however, never hesitate to break the same law in pursuit of its unscrupulous policies, based on their whims and caprices.
”The Kaduna State Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), vehemently condemned the illegal mass sack/retirement of the 2,118 Local Government staff and yet another over 1,600 staff of the Primary Health Centres, by governor Nasir Elrufai, the governor of Kaduna State. The action by the governor is outrightly unlawful, callous and smacks off the insensitivity of the APC government to the plight of the good people of the state.
“It is disheartening that a government which asserts itself as a believer of the rule of law, however, never hesitate to break the same law in pursuit of its unscrupulous policies,based on their whims and caprices.
PDP further accused that the El-Rufai’s led Government has heightened the insecurity challenges of the state, pointed that Kaduna State which is known to be the centre of learning in Nigeria, has become a kidnapping hub under his watch.
“The decisions of this nature by the Elrufai administration since assumption of office, has been responsible for the heightened insecurity and poverty which has become so pervasive in the State, to the extent that the slogan ‘Centre of Learning’ which Kaduna State is known for is now referred to as the “kidnapping hub of the Nation.”
The statement, also explained that “several other actions of the governor leaves all and sundry, without any iota of doubt, that indeed the Elrufai/APC led government, just as it is at the Federal level, lacks human face and is a conglomeration of family and friends that lacks empathy and compassion in governance, expressed that any administration that thrives on cruel policies and programmes is obviously anti-people and merciless, which negates the objective of good governance.
“Going down memory lane, it is on record that Kaduna State has recorded the most unprecedented highest number of, not only, retrenched or dismissed workers, but sadly too, whose benefits and gratuities have been denied for years. It clearly leaves no one in doubt that the governance style of Nasir Elrufai led APC government is more about fostering physical,psychological and emotional hardship on the citizenry. ”
“This, coupled with the demolition of houses and small businesses owned by the down trodden masses, has caused so much havoc to the small and medium scale enterprises to the point that one can conclusively say that the government
doesn’t want their presence in the State rather, it wants to foist a capitalist driven economy on the citizenry, further making life unbearable and brutish for the common man.
According to the oppossion Party, the impact of insecurity in the State, apart from denying the largely agrarian population from accessing their farmlands as well as fear of being kidnapped, which in the past used to largely be in the villages and outskirts, however is far becoming a common everyday occurrence, even within the city centres.
“It is even more worrisome that the lackadaisical attitude of the governor of the State in not showing empathy to the families affected by the various acts of kidnapping, banditry and even those who suffer fatalities leaves much to be desired.
“The State Government under Elrufai, claimed to have increased the internally generated revenue to over #5 billion monthly. If this is true, it wouldn’t have been possible without the Hard work and commitment of these civil servants.
The statement also quotes the state party, that Governor Nasir Elrufai of Kaduna State has broken the Guiness Book of World Records, as the governor or leader that sacked over 22,000 workers in one full swoop! Sadly, these workers sacked since 2016 have not been paid their entitlements.
These actions from the Governor, according to the party, expressly violates the fundamental human rights of those so affected, and also serves as clear disregard to the extant Kaduna State civil service rules, provisions and procedures, stated thereto, in the conditions of service as it relates to appointments of persons into the State civil service, and also contravenes section 210 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, which guarantees pension and gratuities rights of the retirees and also without any fair hearing to the sacked workers who were issued their dismissal/retirement letters starting from Tuesday, 6th April, 2021.
Abraham Alberah Catoh noted that the grandstanding attitude of the governor and his officials/aides gives them away that they did not really earned the votes of the people, otherwise, the citizens of
Kaduna State will not have been treated with so much disdain, calls for a reversal of this mass and unethical sack of all those so affected, and payment of their entitlements by the Kaduna State Government.
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