Governor fires civil servant over Facebook comment

Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura of Nasarawa has come under heavy criticism over the sacking a female worker in the employ of the state civil service, Miss Ruqaiyyat Tijjani Usman, over comments she made on her Facebook page.

Ruqaiyyat, a staff with the state Ministry of Justice, had her appointment terminated with effect from the 25th of February, 2016, for comments on purported demonstration by a section of civil servants against the just suspended strike action and the way the state government was handling the Lassa fever outbreak in the state which led to the death of a health worker with the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital, Lafia.

She highlighted what she termed anti-labour “stage managed” protest organised across the state in a post which read: “I can see some political thugs protesting and not professionals; are we going down this way? I weep for my state.”

Our reporter gathered that upon receiving a printout copy of the post and the comments and discourse it had generated from the office of the special adviser on Command Centre, Governor Al-Makura, summonned her to his office last Monday morning where he was said to have assured her of her sack from the service.

LEADERSHIP gathered that pleas from her father, Tijjani Usman, a former commissioner in his administration, and intervention from traditional rulers and other concerned citizens yielded no result, hence the termination of her appointment.

In reaction, labour leaders and human rights activists have slammed the governor's action and decision, threatening to embark on a fresh strike if the decision was not reversed within the shortest possible time.

The Nasarawa State Chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Abdullahi Adeka, said by Monday, the leadership of trade unions will meet with the state Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice and if the decision was not reversed within 24 hours, they would be forced to shut down the state in a fresh strike action.

Adeka stressed that one of the conditions for the suspension of the recent strike action was the non-victimisation of any worker on matters relating to the industrial action and sees this action as a direct affront on the collective sensibility of labour.

Similarly, the former Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice in the state, Hon. Innocent Lagi, condemned the action, assuring that he would head to court tomorrow to challenge the legality of the action of the State Government.

When contacted, Governor Al-makura's media aide, Ahmed Tukur, said he was yet to be briefed on the matter. (LEADERSHIP)