TheCable

The southern Kaduna youth and students forum (SKYSFOM) says a total of 3,753 students in the zone have passed a vote of no confidence in Nasir el-Rufai, the state governor.

A statement issued on Monday by Galadima Jesse, SKYSFORM president, said the no confidence votes are as a result of the refusal of the government to reopen schools closed in the zone.

The state government had, last year, closed the schools for “security reasons” following the crisis in the area.

Jesse questioned the continued closure of the schools, asking if the government is “desperately  bent on using state power to express its hate over southern Kaduna by punishing us?”

He recalled that the senate had recommended the continued opening of University of Maiduguri, Borno state, “despite the violent intimidation of Boko Haram,” asking, “must our institutions in  Southern Kaduna be different?”

“Why is kaduna state government making things so complex as if Southern Kaduna is still in crisis,” the statement read.

“Having found no rational reason to the indefinite closure of our schools, we resorted to the vote of no confidence exercise against Governor Nasir el-rufai.

“After all collation was officially closed, a total of 3,753 members satisfactorily signed the register for the passage of the vote of no confidence in the leadership and its negative posture to our members.

“This outcome is indeed remarkable, that in such a short time, giving the hardship by our poor members to either vote online or to travel to our designated points of voting.”

The group also sought for “intervention” as well as “justice and restitution for what we have lost” from various national and international organisation.

It listed the organisations to include the National human rights commission, Amnesty International, public complaints commission, civil liberty organisation of Nigeria (CLO), Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), national assembly, among others.

The students added that should the state government fail to open the schools on or before July 19, 2017, it would be forced to take “a different legitimate action”.