Many well-meaning organizations and patriotic people have criticised the decision of Governor Nasiru El-Rufai to sack 22,000 teachers in the Kaduna state civil service. We are however disturbed that Governor Peter Ayodele Fayose has, in his usual hypocritical manner, criticised the planned sack. Convinced that the "incompetent teachers" are products of the general fall in the standard of education in the country we are totally opposed to the decision of Governor El-Rufai to sack them. But we are happy to note that the Kaduna state government has reversed the dangerous plan to sack the teachers. But Governor El-Rufai must not abandon the reform of the educational system. We advise him to put in place a program for retraining all the teachers in Kaduna state.
Our group is however compelled to point out that Governor Fayose lacks the moral right to criticize the El-Rufai administration for three reasons. First, Governor Fayose is destroying the future of education in Ekiti State by bringing back the "miracle centers" which were abolished by former Governor Kayode Fayemi. Secondly, Governor Fayose has sacked many public officers and workers in Ekiti State. It is public knowledge that he once ordered the sack of 400 staff in the Ekiti State University. He has also removed a permanent secretary for challenging the looting of the treasury of the State. Mr. Kolawole Olaiya, the chairman of the Ekiti State Trade Union Congress was sacked by Governor Fayose for asking the governor to stop the diversion of the bailout fund collected from the federal government for payment of workers' salaries.
Governor Fayose has also sacked hundreds of members of boards, commissions, and parastatals of Ekiti state. Many of the victimized board members dragged Governor Fayose to court through their lawyer, Femi Falana SAN. As Mr. Fayose could not justify the illegal removal of the board members from the public service the National Industrial Court has declared the sack illegal and ordered the Ekiti State government to pay them damages of N234 million. The trial judge, Justice Oyeyibola Oyewumi said that "I find the dissolution of these commissions and removal of their members as an act of executive recklessness, executive rascality, a grave disregard to the Governor's Oath of office which he swore to uphold, defend and protect." In spite of such judicial indictment, the Fayose administration has failed to pay the damages awarded to the claimants by the court.
The third reason why Governor Fayose is not a fit and proper person to criticize Governor El-Rufai as far as the welfare of workers is concerned is that his government has engaged in the diversion of the bailout funds and the London/Paris club loan refund collected on behalf of the state government and the 16 local governments in the state. The Finance Commissioner and Accountant- General of Ekiti State were recently arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commissioner for the criminal diversion of the pension funds of the poor retired civil servants in Ekiti State.
Although Governor Fayose has continued to present himself to the general public as a victim of political harassment we are delighted to note that he has not blackmailed the courts and the EFCC. Hence, not less than six properties acquired illegally by Governor Fayose in Lagos and Abuja have been forfeited to the federal government on the orders of the federal government while his main contractor, Mr. Abiodun Agbele is currently on trial for money laundering. Unlike Governor Fayose his Kaduna State colleague has not been accused of criminal diversion of public funds or owing workers arrears of salaries. Neither has Governor El-Rufai been accused of stealing pension of retired civil servants.