Gbenro Adesina
The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) have threatened to embark on industrial action over alleged neglect of public colleges of Education by the Federal and State governments.
The President of COEASU, Comrade Nuhu Ogirima, who stated this at the end of its expanded National Executive Council meeting, said the Union had given government twenty one days notice to address the issues failure of which they would declare a nationwide industrial action.
Ogirima listed some of the issues to include double standard deployed by Federal Ministry of Education and Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment against the Colleges of Education relative to other tertiary institutions.
According to him, “Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) effected deduction of COEASUü check-off dues at source from the promotion arrears paid to some of our members from January to November 2018 but has continually withheld same in spite of the request for remittance to the Union”
He added that, “The imposition of IPPIS on the COE system bedeviled the payment of emoluments of staff withü anomalies, infractions and deprivations.
Also, “Third party-deductions are not being effected in most colleges. A number of our members on Sabbatical and Study Leaves have not been included on pay-roll; and worst of all check-off dues have been withheld, unremitted to the Union since February, 2020, ostensibly to stifle the Union of funds and cripple her activities,’’ he said
He stated that the situation was worse at state colleges of education.
Ogirima said, “the Expanded National Executive Council (ENEC) at its meeting is, therefore, forced to challenge government to shut the Teacher Education Industry since the quality of infrastructure, welfare and service delivery takes no preference in the scheme of governance at all levels. Alternatively, the ENEC wishes that you take notice hereby that should the government refuse to redress all the issues in contention within 21 days, the Union would have no other option than to declare a nation-wide industrial action’’.
