A REFUTAL OF THE STATEMENT BY SECRETARY TO THE RIVERS STATE GOVERNMENT (SSG) DR. TAMMY DANAGOGO, COMMISSIONER FOR INFORMATION MR. PAULINUS NSIRIM AND MR. BRIGHT AMEWHULE, AT DIFFERENT EVENTS CONCERNING TEACHERS OF STAFF SCHOOLS OF RIVERS STATE OWNED TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS WHOSE SALARIES WERE STOPPED BY RIVERS STATE GOVERNMENT OVER FIVE YEARS AGO

The attention of Rivers State Civil Society Coalition and past students of the demonstration schools in Rivers State has been drawn to a statement credited to the SSG, Dr. Tammy Danagogo on May 1, 2021, and Mr Paulinus Nsirim and Mr Bright Amewhule on live Radio appearance concerning teachers of staff schools of Rivers State owned tertiary institutions whose salaries were unlawfully and arbitrarily stopped by the Executive Governor of Rivers State, Chief Barrister Ezenwo Nyesom Wike over five years ago. In their different statement, they likened the staff schools to a private ‘Pure Water Business’ of the tertiary institutions, insinuating that the teachers were not staff of Rivers State Government, a position the Government held before the teachers proceeded to the National Industrial Court presenting their appointment and confirmation letters, Rivers State Identity Cards as well as the Conditions of Service of their various institutions for arbitration on the matter.

After listening to the defences of both Government and the teachers and careful scrutiny of the aforementioned documents of teachers, the court ruled in favour of the teachers on June 13, 2018, stating that the teachers’ respective employment were valid and subsisting; that the Governor’s directive stopping the payment of teachers’ salaries was unlawful, null and void among others. A copy of the judgement was presented to the Governor Chief Barrister Nyesom Wike by the National Labour Congress Chairman, Comrade Ayuba Wabah together with his Rivers State counterpart, Comrade Beatrice Itubo right in the Governor’s office. The lawyer representing the teachers also wrote the Attorney General of the State as well as the Vice Chancellors and Rector of the Universities and Polytechnic respectively, to intimate them of the development and the need to pay the teachers.

However, on the same day the Judgment was delivered at the National Industrial Court, teachers were served with a Notice of Appeal, an indication that Government pre-empted the judgment. Expectedly so, because Government could not and cannot controvert the statutory employment of the teachers. The Court of Appeal on October 30, 2020, struck out the appeal sought by the Rivers State Government, for lack of merit.

As a CSO Coalition and past students of this schools, we wish to enlighten the agents of the Rivers State Government on issues of recruitment in the tertiary institutions, since by their statement; they have shown a very high level of ignorance on the subject matter. Firstly, the Body responsible for recruiting staff of the tertiary institutions is the Governing Council. This Body is appointed by (and reports to) the Governor on all issues they undertake in the institutions including staff recruitment. Therefore, any employment undertaken by the Governing Council is viewed as having been undertaken by the Government of the day. The appointment of the teachers followed prescribed due process just as any other staff of the institutions with most of them putting in over twenty five years in service at the time of stoppage of their salaries

Secondly, the staff schools like other primary and secondary schools are made up of teaching and non-teaching staff. The non-teaching staff are clerks, typists, messengers, labourers, cleaners, laboratory attendants, minders, etc. The non-teaching staff of these same staff schools are still being paid salaries by Rivers State Government till date, while the teachers and their families were singled out for deprivation, starvation, frustration and mortification to date, many of whom have been lost to death. The question begging for the these Government Agents to address is: could they please explain to the general public and the people of Rivers State in particular, the parameter(s) this Government used to decipher that the non-teaching staff of the staff schools are employees of Rivers State Government, for which the Rivers State Government pays their salaries to date and the teachers, employees of a private enterprise of the tertiary institutions for which the Rivers State Government denies them enjoyment of their salaries for over five years.

They may be excused if they claimed ignorance of the mode employment takes place in the tertiary institutions. However, they cannot claim ignorance of the judgements of both Industrial and Appeal courts. If not for anything else, as a Coalition and past students, we have earlier held a press conference and carried out two peaceful protests to Rivers Government House on the subject, showcasing the two court judgements which were also extensively broadcast in various local and international print, audio and audio-visual media. To still act in the manner they have done after the teachers obtained two court judgements ruled in their favour, should not be seen as ignorance but a deliberate attempt to ignore or twist the facts and set aside the judgements of two courts of competent jurisdiction as the National Industrial and Appeal courts.

It should be seen as it truly is a blatant disregard for the Judiciary by the Executive arm of Government championed by no less a personality than these representative of the Rivers State Government. It is a stubborn display of political rascality tantamount to political thuggery. The statement was issued also with the intent to rape the justice the teachers obtained, with utmost disregard for the rule of law as well as hoodwink the general public and the good people of Rivers State.

This is to say the least, callous, obscene and unexpected of a Government headed by a Lawyer and a member of the body of benchers. Furthermore, their statement portrays the present Government of Rivers State under Chief Barrister Ezenwo Nyesom Wike as lawless. The Rivers State Civil Society organization as the foremost CSO coalition and the former students of these schools on behalf of the affected teachers therefore demand the Executive Governor of Rivers State, should call his agents to order and commence payments of these dying teachers as instructed by the Highest Court of the Land as far as industrial dispute are concerned. Failure to pay these teachers at the end of August, we will be left with the option to mobilize to the Rivers State Government house by way of protest.


FOR AND ON BEHALF OF:

RIVERS STATE CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATION-

COM. ENEFAA GEORGEWILL

PAST STUDENTS OF DEMONSTRATION SCHOOLS IN RIVERS STATE

MR. KPANIKU JUSTICE