Date: 2014-03-27

The Kwara State chapter of the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union, (COEASU) will next week join its counterparts across the federation in the on-going indefinite strike, National Pilot can report .

The Chairman COEASU Kwara State chapter, Mr. Sanni Mohammed, disclosed this during a chat with National Pilot, adding that the union would not go back on its demands until the Federal Government accede to its requests.

He said requests of the union bordering on members’ welfare and infrastructural development of the colleges of education forwarded to the Federal Government, had not been given due attention. 

He said, “It is not too much for the Federal Government to keep upgrading these institutions at a regular interval. The structure in these schools are in deplorable state and not conducive for learning. There is also the problem of inadequate instructional material.’’ 

Mohammed added that “although the Federal Government had directed the Federal Ministry of Education to stop salaries of lecturers, who are on strike, but we will not let that weigh us down, we will not relent in our contest.” 

He explained that that the government had made a verbal commitment to meeting about 95 per cent of the union’s demand, which has not redeemed.

It would be recalled that national body of the COEASU had since December 31, 2013 declared an indefinite nationwide strike to press home its demands.

Meanwhile, the state’s chapter of the union had last week issued a 21-working day ultimatum to the Kwara State College of Education, Ilorin, to address all its demands.

In a communiqué jointly by its Secretary, Comrade M.N. Yahaya, and a copy of which was made available to National Pilot last Saturday, the union threatened that if it 11-point demand is not met, it would join the national industrial action embarked upon its national body.

The union is demanding for among others; immediate enjoyment of financial benefits of promoted staff, their arrears and the outstanding 65% of staff salary is paid; probe and execution of those found guilty of misconducts and misappropriation of TETFUND conference grants; and revisit of execution of TETFUND projects.

Source close to the college told National Pilot that the union had issued another circular to its members for the suspension of the strike till after March, 2014 salaries are paid.

In his reaction, the Provost of the college, Dr. Isiaka Saka Opobiyi, described the planned strike as uncalled for, saying that members of the union are demanding for issues that were already concluded with their leaders at his assumption of office as the college provost.

Opobiyi pointed out that before he came on board, it was difficult to pay workers’ salary, and disclosed that with transparent and open-door policy, the school pays its workers as and when due 100 percent salaries.