Some public school teachers in Rivers State have staged a protest against the state chairman of Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, Lucky Nkpogene, demanding his removal from office as the chairman of the union following his retirement from service.
The aggrieved teachers matched through the streets of Port Harcourt with some inscriptions like, “NUT is for serving teachers not for retirees”, “Nkporgene respect the law”.
The protesters said they were angry that same Nkpogene who “chased out his predecessor from office on the account of retirement” has continued to occupy the office of state NUT chairman even after his own retirement.
Some of the protesters who spokes to journalists in Port Harcourt called on the state Ministry of Education and Senior Schools Board to direct Nkpogene to “immediately vacate the office and handover the office to his Deputy”.
They also called on “relevant authorities” and other stakeholders to urgently intervene while threatening to embark on a mass protest to the ministry of Education and senior schools board to press down their demands if the NUT chairman does not leave office within 7 days.
Addressing the protesters, a representative of the state government who received the protest letter commended the protesters for their “peaceful approach” and promised to submit the letter to appropriate authorities.
When contacted the state Chairman of NUT, Lucky Nkpogene said the union has proceeding in a situation as such.
He said those against his removal were those “who contested election against me and lost.
“If there is anyone who should leave it should be my deputy.
“I have told all of them let them come together let us build the union but they have ill minds.”
