The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union

  • COEASU strike: workers tired of govt apathy

    The National Secretary of the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), Taiwo Olayanju has said until Federal Government accede  to the union’s demands its members will not go back to the classrooms.

    He said the union is tired of government’s apathy and marginalisation of the Colleges of Education (COE) in the country, saying the strike that started last month was total and indefinite.

    Addressing journalists at the Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka he said the strike which began was formally declared by the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) on November 15, 2017 but was not implemented because the union was lenient with the government to address its needs.

    He said the union has met and written severally to the Federal Government but nothing has been done.

    The union is agitating for  the renegotiation of its 2010 agreement with the Federal Government, implementation of the 2014 needs assessment reports, autonomy to award degree in Education, implementation of the CONTISS 15, Peculiar earned Academic Allowance(PEAA), apathy of the state governments to the COEs, Non implementation of migration for the lower cadre and others.

    Olayanju said: “We have been on an indefinite strike for over three weeks now.  Both the federal and state governments have left festering issues unaddressed in spite of our patriotic zeal for industrial peace and diplomatic unionism over time. Rather than reciprocate our disposition to industrial peace, government has taken us for granted. Notice for the ongoing strike was issued as far back as 15th November 2017 but the strike did not commence until 27th September, 2018 when all alternative measures proved futile.

    “We are here as members of COEASU to protest against the painful neglect, poor funding, breached agreements and miscarriage of justice within the Colleges of Education (COE) system. The poor sense of responsibility shown to COEs by government undermines dividend of democracy to the ordinary people whose children our institutions serve.  The strike is total and indefinite. Until these issues are addressed, we will not go back to the classrooms. We can no longer tolerate the apathy of government”. He said

    The COEASU Chairman, Akoka chapter, Comrade Ebenezer Oje said his members were being owed 29 months of allowances which amounts to N145million. He advised his members to remain resolute in the strike.

    “Many states owe our members salaries. Osun state is the worst hit. When you see situation of members of staff of the colleges, you will feel for them.  The last national strike we held in 2014 lasted for seven months. We are ready to sacrifice all it takes for the government to listen to us. We have embarked on this strike but we do not know when it will end.

    “We want the government to feel the biting effect of this strike. The only condition for us to go back to the classroom is for the government to pay us our allowances and accede to our demands. We are tired of appeals, promises and lip service; we want result,” he said.

  • Colleges of Education lecturers threaten indefinite strike

    Colleges of Education lecturers threaten indefinite strike

    Lecturers in Colleges of Education under the auspices of Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) on Friday accused the federal government of stalling the growth of workers in the nation’s Colleges of Education through the Non promotion of lecturers in the system and withholding their checkoff dues in total violation of the Trade Union Act.

    The lecturers are not happy with the government over the stalling of renegotiation of its agreement with unions in the Sector, blaming the leadership of the Committee of Provosts for the stalled renegotiation and called on the Minister of Education to immediately call call the leadership to order or face a nation wide Industrial action.

    Addressing a news conference in Abuja, National President of the Union, Comrade Nuhu Ogirima said the union was giving the government two weeks within which to call the Chairman of the Committee of Provost, Prof Okechukwu Ogbuagu to order and recommence the renegotiation or face what he called system shut down”

    He also accused the Accountant General of the Federation of withholding check off dues of members of the union and contributions of staff into the staff welfare cooperative society in contravention of the Trade Union Act.

    While describing the action of the Accountant General as unacceptable, Comrade Ogirima said the Trade Union Act stipulates that check off dues shall be deducted from staff and remitted to the unions within two weeks, pointing out that it is an act of illegality for the government, through the Accountant General to hold on to union dues.

    He explained that the explanation from the office of the Accountant General was that the government has recently developed a new template for the payment of salaries which does not recognize check off due, adding that such an action was unacceptable as it violates the laws of the land.

    He reminded the Accountant General that withholding cooperative contributions from workers was also an illegal act saying “do we really need to remind government t that the deductions for cooperative societies are hard earned monies of staff struggling for survival amidst the contemporary exploitative and harsh economic realities of our dear country?

    Ogirima complained of the the shortfall in their salaries since 2015 and the Non payment of Peculiar Academic Allowances since 2014, saying “we know that the government is making effort to pay other sister institutions such allowances, bug in our own case, they are not bothered”.

    He expressed sadness that despite the Paris Club refund to states, several state government have refused to pay the salaries of lecturers in their Colleges of Education ranging from 8 to 28 months.

    He accused the Kaduna and Niger state governments of refusing to implement the CONPCASS salary structure in their states, but instead are still paying their lecturers based on the old CONTISS.

    He asked the Governors of the two states to take verifiable steps towards Implementing the current salary structure for the Colleges of Education, while asking the various states owing arrears and salary and promotion to commence immediate payment or face Industrial action.

    He said the government should not hold them responsible for any break down if Industrial harmony in the Sector, stressing they may be compelled to “do what we are not known for. We have refrained from going on strike because of the respect we have for the President and because of the intervention of National Commission for Colleges of Education. But our patience is running out”.

  • Polytechnic, Colleges of Education lecturers threatens strike

    Polytechnic, Colleges of Education lecturers threatens strike

    Few days after the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) began an indefinite strike to press home their demand for better working condition, there are indication that higher education sector may soon witness more strike action as lecturers in Nigeria Polytechnics and Colleges of Education are bracing up for another round of industrial action.

    Leaders of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics and Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union have threatened to embark on industrial action if the government continues to pay lip service to the welfare of their members and the working environment in their institutions.

    While expressing solidarity with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in the struggle to restore sanity to Nigerian Universities and the education sector, General Secretary of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, Comrade Anderson Ezeibe said the government must immediately commence the implementation of agreements entered into with the union to forestall an impending crisis in the polytechnic sub sector.

    He it was unfortunate that it has become a norm for government to renege on agreements entered into with trade unions, particularly in the education sector leaving affected unions frustrated and with no choice than to down tools.

    He said while ASUP is concern about the consequences of the strike on students, parents and society at large, the government should be held responsible for this avoidable industrial crisis.

    He said ‎ASUP is urging government to address the issue of shortfall in personnel releases in Federal Institutions since December 2015, non-payment of salaries in state Polytechnics, non-implementation of Needs Assessment report as well as non-payment of allowances.

    “ASUP notes with nostalgia the renewal of hostilities in the country’s university campuses between ASUU and Government of Nigeria.

    “While we are in unconditional solidarity with ASUU in this struggle to restore sanity to   Nigerian universities, we are calling on the Government to commence without further delay  the implementation of agreements entered into with ASUP to forestall an inpending crisis in the polytechnic sub-sector as the issues in contention which include shortfall in personel releases in Federal Instiuions since December 2015, non-payment of salaries in state Polytechnics, non-implementation of Needs Assessment report as well as non-payment of allowances”.

    On their part, National President of the College of Education Academic Staff Union, OGIRIMA Nuhu gave the federal government a 48 hours ultimatum to reconstitute the governing council of the Federal College of Education, Okene and stop the proposed interview for a substantive Provost for the institution.

    The union accused the governing council of being compromised by politicians and trying to impose a Provost on the institution, pointing out that failure to do that will compel the union to embark on an industrial action to press home other demands of the union.

    Nuhu said apart from halting the proposed interview slated for Monday, 21 August, 2017 and the reconstitute the Governing Council of FCE Okene which has been compromised, the government should conduct fresh interview for the position of provost and college librarian to allow for the participation of all that may be qualified, including those illegally disqualified.

    They also want the government to ensure a transparent and level playing for all applicants for same position in such colleges as FCE (T), Umunze, FCE (T), Gombe among others, adding that “should the Minister not see the need to address these concerns within the next 48hrs, from today, Wednesday, 16 August, 2017, the Federal Government should brace up for a serious industrial dispute on not only the FCE, Okene, matter but also all other outstanding issues to which FG paid only lip service.”

     

  • COEASU gets new leaders

    Members of the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union, (COEASU), ACE Chapter, have elected new executives.

    Dr. Akintunde Samuel Akinrinlola of the Department of Social Studies, who was unopposed was declared chairman with 214 votes.

    He will serve for the next for years with Mr. Rufus Oziegbe (Vice Chairman); Mr. Abayomi Adepoju (Secretary General) and Mr. Adenegan Kehinde (Treasurer).

    Other officers elected were Mr. Bernard Anthony (Financial Secretary), Mr. Edafe Joel (Assistant Secretary General); Mr. Anthony Israel Kolawole (Director of Socials); Mr Olaniyan Rotimi (auditor) and Mr. Olaniyan Olaolu (Public Relations Officer).

     

    Speaking after announcing the result, the chairman of the five-member Electoral Committee, Mr. Clinton Adebiyi described the election as one of the best ever to be organised by the Union.

    He commended COEASU members for demonstrating a high sense of responsibility during the exercise.