Another strike action may soon hit the education sector as the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) on Wednesday issued the Federal Government a 21-day ultimatum over pending issues.
The union further warned that it would embark on strike if the issues at stake were not addressed within three weeks.
The union listed issues that need urgent resolution to include refusal to effect third party-deductions in most COEs; double standard deployed by the Federal Ministry of Education and Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment against the COEs relative to other tertiary institutions and imposition of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) on the COE system.
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It also claimed that government failed to address the plight of the public college system one year after sending a memo detailing the deplorable state of the institutions.
The President of the union, Nuhu Ogirima, who issued the ultimatum during a press conference held at the National Commission for Colleges of Education in Abuja, said: “Consequently, administrative impunity and rights deprivation reign supreme in most of these COEs. The Expanded National Executive Council at its meeting of 8th July, is, therefore, forced to challenge government to shut the teacher education industry since the quality of infrastructure, welfare and service delivery takes no preference in the scheme of governance at all levels.”
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