FG Mum As Colleges Of Education Lecturers Begin Strike

The National Executive Council of the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union has declared a one-month strike, with effect from Tuesday, June 14.

The union disclosed this in a statement signed by its President, Dr. Smart Olugbeko, and General Secretary, Dr. Ahmed Lawan, which was made available to journalists on Tuesday.

The statement read in part, “The total strike action suspended by the union in December 2018 will be resumed immediately for four weeks in the first instance.

“NEC shall reconvene after the four weeks of strike action to re-assess the level of government’s commitment on the issues for an appropriate decision on the way forward.

“Every chapter congress across the federation should convene on Tuesday, June 14, 2022, to adequately inform the congress on the commencement of the strike action due to the festering issues and the status of inaction leading to the industrial action.”

While asking all members of the academic staff in all Colleges of Education (both federal and state) to withdraw from all statutory duties without exemption, the union also asked all state-owned colleges already on industrial action to press home local demands to impress on their respective managements that the local strike shall continue in the unexpected event that their local issues remain unresolved by the end of the nationwide strike.

When contacted, the spokesperson of the Federal Ministry of Education, Ben Goong, simply said, “The minister already addressed outstanding issues regarding COEASU during the last press briefing which was held last week. There is nothing new to say on the matter.”

The PUNCH reports that the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, had promised to look into the gray areas surrounding the grievances of COEASU and others.

He had also promised to set up a committee to look into all the issues.