Ayuba Wabba To El-Rufai: I Dare You To Arrest Me

…As Kaduna state govt. declares NLC President wanted for economic sabotage

BY VICTOR BUORO IN KADUNA – As the five days warning strike declared by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Kaduna State against the sacking of workers by Governor Nasir El-Rufai enters day two, the National President of the NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, has dared Governor Nasir El-Rufai to carry out his threat and arrest him over the ongoing workers’ strike in the state.

Governor El-Rufai on Tuesday declared Ayuba Wabba and other union leaders wanted with a vow to vigorously prosecute them for violations of the Penal Code of Kaduna State, the Miscellaneous Offences and the Trade Dispute (Essential Services) Acts in connection with the state’s workers’ strike,

Wabba said; “Let him come and arrest me. It has nothing to do with me. We are here and waiting for them,” he said while leading workers in protest.

In what appeared a a desperate move and fight back, Governor Nasir El-Rufai through his Twitter handle declared the National President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba and other Union leaders wanted.

El-Rufai said that Wabba and other members of the union were declared wanted for economic sabotage and attacks on public infrastructure under the Miscellaneous Offences Act.

In the words of El-Rufai; “Anyone who knows where Wabba is hiding should send a message to the ministry of justice, Kaduna state.”

The governor added that there would be a handsome reward for anybody with details about the whereabouts of the NLC president.

The NLC backed strike which started on Monday has seen activities totally grounded in Kaduna just as some travellers were seen stranded and frustrated at the Rigasa Train station.

Similarly, residents of Kaduna have been made to go through some excruciating experiencing of total black out of power while fuel stations remained closed.

Governor El-Rufai in a statement in which he described the Labour leaders as official bandits, also threatened to dismiss nurses and others civil servants for participating in the ongoing strike.

El-Rufai in the statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Communication, Muyiwa Adekeye, vowed that the NLC National President would be vigorously prosecuted for violations of the Penal Code of Kaduna State, the Miscellaneous Offences and the Trade Dispute (Essential Services) Acts.

El-Rufai therefore urged Wabba and his senior confederates to report to the Ministry of Justice and the Police Headquarters to take their statements.

The Governor also vowed that the State Ministry of Health would dismiss all nurses below GL 14 for going on an unlawful strike, adding that the salaries that could have gone to them would be given as extraordinary occupational allowances to the health workers who are at their duty posts to fill the gap of those absconding from duty.

He also directed the Ministry of Health to advertise vacancies for the immediate recruitment of new nurses to replace those dismissed.

El-Rufai particularly warned that any academic staff member of the Kaduna State University (KASU) that fail to report for work would be dismissed just as he directed the authorities of the institution to submit a copy of the attendance register for all categories of staff members daily to the Secretary to the State Government and the Commissioner of Education.

El-Rufai said that the State Government viewed the actions of the NLC as equivalent to the actions of the bandits kidnapping and menacing the citizens.

According to him; “Bandits illegally use arms, but the NLC is deploying mob action for exactly the same ends, trying to hold hostage the freedoms, economic interests, livelihoods and resources of the people of Kaduna State”.

El-Rufai also vowed that his administration would not submit its treasury to the entitled minority, adding that he will carry out the reform and rightsize the public service to meet the needs and resources of Kaduna State even if the NLC strikes ad infinitum.