COEASU To Embark On Strike Over N15 Billion Federal Govt. Failure To Release Revitalisation Fund, Others

Nigeria’s education system may be heading for a total paralysis as the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) may embark on strike over the failure of the Federal Government to release the N15 billion revitalisation funds for colleges of education.

If the Union makes real her threat, this will throw over one million colleges of education students out of school as they would soon join the Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU), which has extended its warning strike by eight weeks.

In a statement by its President, Dr. Smart Olugbeko, COEASU urged Nigerians to hold the government responsible for any industrial crisis that may hit the colleges of education soon as the National Executive Council (NEC) of the union meets at the end of March.

The union said it had at different levels of engagement with the government presented lingering issues which the government must address in the interest of industrial peace.

According to COEASU, some of the issues are; renegotiation of 2010 COEASU–FGN Agreement; Non-payment of Minimum Wage Arrears; Non-payment of accrued arrears on CONTISS 15 (Migration) of lower cadres; Non-payment of outstanding Promotion Arrears (2018 till date); Non-release of illegally withheld Union dues on 2012-2016 promotion arrears, Non-funding of Out-sourced Services.

Part of the statement reads: “The union warns that over one million students in Colleges of Education in Nigeria will soon join their counterparts in the universities at home if the government fails to address these issues promptly.

“Our capabilities to endure government’s insensitivity, delay tactics and disrespect have been drawn to the barest limits. We, therefore, use this medium to inform the public to hold the government responsible for any industrial crisis that may hit the Colleges of Education soon as the National Executive Council (NEC) of our Union meets at the end of the month of March.

“Indeed, only the fulfillment of the pledges, and actionable resolution of the lingering issues, without further delay on the part of Government, can ensure sustained industrial peace in our colleges of education.”

According to the union, the N15 billion revitalisation fund could have been used to address the deplorable conditions of the teaching-learning infrastructure in colleges of education.