By: Valentine Adese (JP),
The North Central Zone of the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) has warned the Federal and State Governments in Nigeria of a possible industrial action, based on alleged unwillingness of both tires of government to address the lingering issues between them and the Union.
The Zonal chapter of the Union, in a press statement titled: “Lingering issues of contention between COEASU and the Federal Government”, dated 26th May, 2022, has caution the Federal and State Governments that failure to address these legitimate and critical demands with the urgency they deserves will leave all Colleges of Education in the zone with no option than to fully support and participate in any industrial action that may be declared by the national body of COEASU.
Adding that, “COEASU North Central zone hopes that Government at all levels and other critical state holders in the education sector will not allow the situation to degenerate to a level of industrial disharmony as this will be counterproductive to the realization of the laudable goals for which COEs were established and the general growth and development of the education sector of our nation”.
In its text, the Union explained that, “It has become crystal clear that Governments at all levels have taken the maturity and diplomatic approach of our Union in the resolution of contentious issues with them as a symbol of weakness. This is most unfortunate!
“This posture of Government prompted the National body of our Union to convene a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting at Okene between 4th -6th of May, 2022, to examine the issues.
“During this NEC meeting, deliberations and appraisal of lingering issues of contention between COEASU and the Federal Government shows that they have largely remained unattended to, and hence unresolved, in spite of series of agreements reached between the Federal Government and our Union spanning over
“This posture of government pushed the Union to issue a 21, day ultimatum to Government to address the issues at stake or risk industrial action”.
READ THE FULL PRESS STATEMENT BELOW:-
OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT/ZONAL COORDINATOR
26th May, 2022
PRESS RELEASE
INGERING ISSUES OF CONTENTION BETWEEN COEASU AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT: THE NEED FOR URGENT ACTION BY GOVERNMENT TO FORESTALL LOOMING INDUSTRIAL ACTION
Ladies and gentlemen of the press, the North Central Zone of the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) has been compelled to address gentlemen of the Press on very urgent critical issues of contention between our Union and the Federal and States Governments that have lingered unattended to for so long.
It has become crystal clear that Governments at all levels have taken the maturity and diplomatic approach of our Union in the resolution of contentious issues with them as a symbol of weakness. This is most unfortunate.
This posture of Government prompted the National body of our Union to convene a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting at Okene between 4th -6th of May, 2022 to examine the issues.
During this NEC meeting, deliberations and appraisal of lingering issues of contention between COEASU and the Federal Government shows that they have largely remained unattended to, and hence unresolved, in spite of series of agreements reached between the Federal Government and our Union spanning over
This posture of government pushed the Union to issue a 21, day ultimatum to Government to address the issues at stake or risk industrial action.
THE ISSUES IN CONTETTION
- Reluctance of the Federal Government to renegotiate COEASU’S 2010 Agreement with Government even after accepting to do same several months ago.
It’s disheartening that several months after the Federal Government had requested COEASU to constitute a negotiating team to renegotiate the 2010 agreement between COEASU and Government, the Federal Government is yet to constitute its own renegotiation Committee let alone kick start the process of the renegotiation. COEASU’S negotiation Committee which has since been constituted has waited on the Federal Government in futility without even a whimper on the issue from Government.
- Flagrant refusal of the Federal Government to release the N15 billion pledged revitalization fund made in 2019, this is in addition to the outstanding presidential Needs Assessment Fund Agreement to the tune of ₦478 billion being the outcome of the 2014 Need Assessment program of the Federal Government for all public colleges of Education (both Federal and States) that has not been redeemed till date.
- Poor Funding of colleges of Education and poor conditions of service for States owned Colleges especially Colleges in the North Central Zone of Our Union.
For instance, Kaduna State Government still pay staff of the State College of Education, Gidan Waya a mutilated version of the obsolete CONTISS Salary Structure 13 years after its abolition and replacement with CONPCASS and CONTEDISS Salary Structures for academic and non-academic Staff respectively. Also, Benue State COEs in Katsina-Ala and Oju have been owing Salary arrears for between four to five months till date. Similarly, Plateau State COE Gindiri, Kogi State COE Ankpa, Nassarawa State COE Akwanga and Niger State COE Minna have all been subjected to ridiculous conditions of Service ranging from poor salary, non- implementation of the legally approved 65 years retirement age, multiple Promotion without financial benefits and illegal introduction of extraneous Promotion conditions outside the NCCE approved promotion requirements among others.
The North Central Zone of our Union Sadly wish to report that many States Government, have abdicated their responsibilities to their States owned COEs to TET-Fund. This is unacceptable to our Union.
- The recalcitrant insistence of the Federal Government to continue with the defective and unreliable IPPIS Salary payment platform while rejecting UTAS Platform which is clearly a more viable and reliable platform for the payment of Salaries and other emolument of Staff of Universities and other Tertiary Institutions that will stand the test of time.
It’s for the above reasons and other sundry acts of neglect by Government to the Colleges of Education sub-sector that COEASU has issued a 21 day ultimatum for government to urgently address the issues in contention or face industrial action by our Union as a last resort.
COEASU North Central Zone wish to state that the outright neglect by Government to the plight of the COEs has adversely affected the smooth running of these institutions that are vested with the constitutional responsibility of training the man power needs of the primary and junior secondary school levels.
The North Central Zone of COEASU wish to caution the Federal and State Governments that failure to address these legitimate and critical demands with the urgency they deserves will leave all Colleges of Education in the zone with no option than to fully support and participate in any industrial action that may be declared by the national body of COEASU.
COEASU North Central zone hopes that Government at all levels and other critical state holders in the education sector will not allow the situation to degenerate to a level of industrial disharmony as this will be counterproductive to the realization of the laudable goals for which COEs were established and the general growth and development of the education sector of our nation.
I call on all the gentlemen of the press both in the electronic and print media and other important stake holders in the Nigerian Education project to kindly give this press release the widest publicity it deserves.
Thank you all and have a nice day.
COMR. NOAH DANLAMI
VICE PRESIDENT/ZONAL COORDINATOR
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