The College of Education Academic Staff Union (COESU) yesterday shut down the Niger State College of Education, Minna, in compliance with a nationwide strike declared by its national body.

The state’s COESU branch, led by its Chairman Ibrahim Mohammed Hassan as early as 7am, barricaded the institution’s entrance gate bringing academic activities to a halt.

Union members turned back academic staff at the gate and allowed only non-academic staff into the school.

COESU on Tuesday directed its branches to resume a suspended nationwide strike to press home its demands, including the release of the N15 billion approved out of the N456billion revitalisation fund recommended for both Federal and state-owned Colleges of Education across the country.

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Addressing journalists, Hassan said the strike was for four weeks but government inaction could make it longer.

“The resumption of the suspended strike was necessitated by the continued inaction of government on lingering issues despite the Union’s lengthy perseverance of uncommon disposition towards alternative dispute resolution”.

The Union’s other complaints include the non-implementation of the consequential effect of the implementation of CONPCASS 15 on lower cadres since 2014, the non-implementation of the 2014 needs assessment report in Colleges of Education, and non-payment of outstanding promotion arrears among others.

The Chairman added that the Niger State Chapter of COEASU would use the opportunity to press home its local demands which included recruitment of teaching and non-teaching staff, and non-payment of salary arrears owed to some staff.

He warned that even if the national body called off its strike, the Niger State Chapter would not unless its demands were met.