The entrance gate of the institution was barricaded as early as 7:00 am by members of the branch’s union led by its Chairman, Comrade Ibrahim Mohammed Hassan as all academic staff were turned back at the gate to their respective homes across Minna and its environs in the state.
When newsmen visited the institution to ascertain the level of compliance of the industrial action/ strike, only non-academic staff were being allowed into the premises of the College, while students were seen moving out of the campus with the bags containing their books and other personal belongings.
Recalled that COEASU on Tuesday, resumed its nationwide suspended industrial action/ strike since 2018 to press home their demands which include non-release of N15 billion approved out of the N456 billion revitalization fund recommended for both Federal and State own Colleges of Education in part of the country.
The College of Education, Minna branch Chairman of COEASU, Comrade Ibrahim Mohammed Hassan informed our correspondent in a brief interview in Minna, saying that “the strike is for four weeks for the first instance”, stressing however that “the resumption of the suspended strike was necessitated by the continued inaction of government on lingering issues despite the Union’s lengthy perseverance of uncommon peaceful disposition towards alternative dispute resolution.”
Comrade Hassan who led other executive members of the union at the COE, Minna branch to ensure full compliance of the strike, listed other demands of the Union to include: non-implementation of the consequential effect of the implementation of CONPCASS, 15 on lower cadre since 2014, the non-implementation of the 2014 needs assessment report in Colleges of Education, and non-payment of outstanding promotion arrears.
Other demands of the Union according to him, are non-payment of responsibility allowance to Librarian in Colleges of Education, poor funding of Colleges of Education and poor condition of state owned Colleges of Education and above all, the Federal Government’s recalcitrant insistence on IPPIS against more reliable alternative of UTAS.
The Chairman, however, noted that the local chapter of COEASU has its own grievances with the Niger State Government over what he called “gross inadequate manpower situation of both Teaching and non-Teaching Staff in the state College of Education, non-payment of salary arrears owed some of our staff arising from a committee,” insisting that even if the National body decides to call off the strike.
When contacted for his reaction, the Provost of the institution, Professor Muhammadu Yakub Auna told our correspondent that the institution has no issue with the strike as it was nationwide and the Institution’s COEASU branch has no choice but to join the strike.
According to him, “I don’t have any problem with the strike, the Union has its grudges against the government and the issues have to be resolved between the two parties . It is not a local strike, so we don’t have a problem with it, the branch here decided to join in solidarity with their colleagues elsewhere, that is all.
“We are only appealing to them to allow us in the institution to have some skeletal work here on the campus. Even if they are withdrawing their teaching staff, they should allow some system to operate,” he stated.
The Provost, Niger State College of Education (COE), Minna, Prof. Muhammadu Yakub Auna, further argued that “as management, we don’t have problems with the strike.”
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