COEASU Set To Embark On Strike, Issues 21-Day Ultimatum

The leadership of Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) South-South zone has threatened to mobilise its members to embark on strike as it issued a 21 days ultimatum to the Federal Government to implement her agreement of 2016.
The union, in a statement, vowed to mobilise it’s members back to the trenches, and said it shall fight relentlessly until her demands are met as stated in the “COEASU”21 day ultimatum of May 9, 2022.
The union, in a statement signed by its Vice President and Zonal Secretary,Dr.OweisanaAkpokabowei and Basset Effiom, condemned the persistent neglect of Colleges of Education by the state and federal governments in the sub-sector.
It attributed the deplorable conditions of Colleges of Education to persistent neglect and near-abandonment of the sector by both state and federal governments, explaining that the non-release of pledge of N15billion revitalisation fund was part of the problem.
According to the statement,”in 2016, following a national strike by the union, the Federal Government had agreed to release as an interim measure, a palliative of N15billion to the sub-sector to ameliorate immediate and teething challenges in various colleges.
“As paltry as the said sum was,it is sad to state that more than a decade,not a Kobo has been released”, the statement noted.
The union also noted that the nonchalant attitude of government on the renegotiation of 2010 agreement despite the fact that COEASU had long submitted her list, awaiting Federal Government to reconstitute her own team.
The statement also explained that government played the devil’s advocate by introducing and imposing an obnoxious system of salary payment called IPPIS, which they described as being designed to accelerate impoverishment.
The union demanded the adoption of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) as an option to IPPIS.
The union also raised alarm that most of state Colleges of Education in the South-South zone were owed 56 months unpaid salary while the College of Education,Igueben in Edo State, is endangered and currently threatened by extinction.

By: Ike Wigodo