NCAT denies sack of 37 teachers

The Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria, Kaduna State, has denied sacking 37 teachers from its staff school.
The Spokesperson for NCAT, Jude Amadi, made the denial in a telephone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in Lagos.
NAN reports that some aviation unions recently petitioned the Federal Government, alleging that the NCAT sacked 37 teachers.
The petition was jointly issued by the National Union of Air Transport Employees, Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria and the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers.
Amadi told NAN that NCAT management only acted in accordance with a directive from the Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission.
He said: “There was a circular from Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission which stopped government institutions from using government budget to pay teachers in their staff schools.
“In adherence to the directive, we handed over the running of the school to a consultancy.
“We asked the teachers to transmit to being employees of the consultant, and agreement was reached.
“Some of them accepted, and have since continued with the consultancy.
“Therefore, using the word sack is wrong because they were not sacked.”
He said that a ruling by the National Industrial Court on the case only ordered that such teachers should transfer their services to the Ministry of Education and earn salaries as other teachers in government institutions.
According to him, the process is still ongoing.
Amadi said: “It is, therefore, incorrect to claim that NCAT disengaged the teachers without due process.’’
NAN reports that the petition, dated March 19, was signed by Messrs Frances Akinjole for ATSSSAN; Olayinka Abioye, NUATE, and Ocheme Aba, NAAPE.
The unions copied the petition to Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transportation; Senator Hadi Sirika, Minister of State for Aviation; Dr Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Employment; Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, and the Executive Chairman, Salaries, Income and Wages Commission.
The petitioners claimed that NCAT management quickly implemented the policy of the government which stopped it from funding staff schools, but had been slow in implementing a court judgment which reverted the policy.
They claimed that other staff schools across the country had implemented the judgment of the industrial court.