College of education workers reject appointment of principal officers

The Senior Staff Union in Colleges of Education, Nigeria (SSUCOEN) has written to the Federal Government and demanded immediate “redress” in the appointment of principal officers for the six newly established colleges.

The Federal Ministry of Education had recently announced the appointment of provosts and other principal officers for the new Federal Colleges of Education sited in Iwo, Osun State; Gidan Madi, Sokoto State; Odugbo, Benue State;

Jama’are, Bauchi State; Isu, Ebonyi State and Ekiadolor, Edo State.

But SSUCOEN, in a letter dated April 13, signed by its president, Danladi Ali Msheliza and directed to the Minister of Education, alleged that 90 percent of the appointees did not meet the requirements.

He said principal officers in colleges of education, must have a background from the education subsector as provided for in the approved Schemes and Conditions of Service (2015 Edition) for Colleges of Education in Nigeria.

He noted that most of the appointees were either from the core civil service, private sector or other sectors outside the colleges of education system, “which is contrary to the provisions for the requirements for the appointment of principal officers in colleges of education as contained in the Revised Conditions of Service for Colleges of Education (2015 Edition), and the Act establishing Federal Colleges of Education.

“One could not help but wonder why the FME rushed to appoint principal officers for the six newly established Federal Colleges of Education without recourse to the requirements for the appointment of such important positions, especially that councils were on ground. Had the councils not been constituted, it would have been well understood,” Msheliza.

He urged the Federal Government to, in the interest of industrial harmony and the avoidance of court injunctions, immediately set aside the appointments of the provosts and principal officers.