The National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), Kaduna Division, on Thursday halted action on the planned sack of 21,780 primary school teachers in Kaduna State who failed the Competency Test organised by the State Government.

Samuel Atum, counsel to the claimants (teachers), had on October 30 filed a motion of interlocutory injunction, restraining the State Government from dismissing or disengaging any teacher on the basis of the contingency test conducted in June 2017.

The Presiding Judge, Justice Lawal Mani, in his ruling granted the application pending the determination of the substantive suit.

The case was adjourned to February 6, 2018.

The court room and premises were filled with the teachers, chairmen of some state chapters of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), as well as the host chairmen of Kaduna NUT and NLC, Comrades Audu Amba and Adamu Ango respectively.

Counsel to the teachers, in an interview with journalists at the court premises, said the court “graciously” considered their application.

“So as it is, Kaduna State Government has been restrained from disengaging or dismissing any teacher in any manner, pending the determination of the substantive suit which has been adjourned to 6th February, 2018.

“This is democracy and the premise of democracy is the rule of law, so we expect nothing more that absolute submission by the state government to comply with the order of the court.

“I have confidence that the government will comply or obey this order,” Mr. Atum said.