Prof. Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa'i
The immediate past Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Ahmed
Rufa'i, who was sacked from the federal cabinet last month, has joined
the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU),
which she desperately tried to break while in office.
According to a report by an online news medium, Premium Times,
enquiries at Bayero University, Kano (BUK), where Rufa'i was teaching
Education Curriculum before taking up political appointment, showed that
although she had returned to the institution, she was yet to commence
work because of the ongoing industrial action.
BUK Public Relations Officer, Mustapha Zaharaddeen, said in a telephone
interview yesterday, that the former minister had joined her colleagues
in the strike.
“How can she teach? She has joined the strike,” Zaharaddeen said. “She
has no choice. How can anybody teach? Don’t forget, ASUU national
president is from BUK.”
When Rufa'i was asked if she had joined the ASUU strike, she merely retorted, “It is an unfair question. Ask my university.”
Efforts to reach the ASUU President, Dr. Nasiru Fagge, was unsuccessful, as his mobile telephone number repeatedly indicated it had been switched off.
Efforts to reach the ASUU President, Dr. Nasiru Fagge, was unsuccessful, as his mobile telephone number repeatedly indicated it had been switched off.
Rufa'i, the first female education minister from the northern part of
Nigeria, was sacked from the federal cabinet alongside eight other
ministers last September 11.
The other sacked ministers were Olugbenga Ashiru (Foreign Affairs), Hadiza Mailaifa (Environment), Shamsudeen Usman (National Planning), Ama Pepple (Land, Housing and Urban Development), Ita Ewa (Science and Technology).
The other sacked ministers were Olugbenga Ashiru (Foreign Affairs), Hadiza Mailaifa (Environment), Shamsudeen Usman (National Planning), Ama Pepple (Land, Housing and Urban Development), Ita Ewa (Science and Technology).
Ministers of State for Defence, Power and Agriculture, Olusola Obada,
Zainab Kuchi and Bukar Tijani, respectively were also relieved of their
positions. Jonathan is yet to replace them.
Before she was fired, Rufa'i, who became education minister in 2011, was a member of the Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam-led federal government negotiation team, which held discussions with ASUU officials.
Before she was fired, Rufa'i, who became education minister in 2011, was a member of the Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam-led federal government negotiation team, which held discussions with ASUU officials.
However, the government team could not make any head way in resolving
the issues that led to the strike, which was now in its third month,
until Rufa'i left government.
She had repeatedly blamed her colleagues for failing to call off the strike, despite the concessions made by the federal government.
She had repeatedly blamed her colleagues for failing to call off the strike, despite the concessions made by the federal government.
The former minister returned to her home state, Jigawa, two days after
her sack and was welcomed by a large crowd, which had gathered in Aminu
Kano Triangle, Dutse, the state capital.
The crowd repeatedly shouted her name in excitement when she arrived at the venue, accompanied by her husband, Ahmed Rufa'i.
Responding to questions from journalists during the reception, the
former minister promised that she would return to the classroom the
following Monday.
“I plan to go back to my university, I am a professor in education in
curriculum studies and I will report on Monday and then take a brief
leave to have a kind of rest, but I am going back to the university,”
she had said.
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