Friday, 29th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search

Group tackles Amosun over education workers’ sack

By Bertram Nwannekanma
19 August 2015   |   10:28 pm
SEQUEL to last week’s sacking of six officials in the Ogun State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology by Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, for an alleged offensive examination question
Ibikunle-Amosun-

Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun

SEQUEL to last week’s sacking of six officials in the Ogun State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology by Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, for an alleged offensive examination question, a civil society group, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to education, Mr. Kishore Singh, to intervene in the matter.

The officials allegedly set examination questions in which pupils were asked to summarise a comprehension passage on a policy defect on education.

It was also alleged that the governor, who considered the passage to be too critical of his administration, ordered the sacking and compulsory retirement of six workers in the state.

But SERAP in a petition sent to Singh and the UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression, Mr. David Kaye urged them to use their “good offices and positions to urgently request the government of Ogun State of Nigeria to immediately and unconditionally reverse the unlawful sacking and retirement of the education officials.

In the petition signed by SERAP ExecutiveDirector, Adetokunbo Mumuni, the organisation said: “The sacking and retirement of these officials is unlawful, unfair, and a serious violation of their internationally recognised human right to hold opinion and academic freedom.”

According to the organisation, “the right to education can only be enjoyed if accompanied by the academic freedom of education officials and students. Thus, the education officials unlawfully sacked and retired are denied the freedom to pursue, develop, and transmit knowledge and ideas including through perceived critical examination questions.”

0 Comments