South-east COEASU Members Insist on Strike

The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), South-east zone has vowed to continue its indefinite strike to press home its demands. The aggrieved lecturers said the action was triggered by government’s failure to address key issues facing the college of education system and the country’s education sector in general.

The Coordinator, COEASU, South-east, Dr. Tobechukwu Nwamaradi said the strike is total and urged all members of the union to stay at home until the government addresses their demands. He explained that education has taken a deplorable plunge under the watch of the present administration, adding that the recourse to strike by members was a necessary part after the government reneged on its promises to the union.

According to him, the federal government has failed to implement the 2014 needs assessment report on the 70 public colleges of education despite the implementation of a similar report of 2015 for another tertiary institution patronised by the children and wards of the elites.

Nwamaradi said all the lingering issues that prompted the 2015 strike have not been addressed by the current government.

He expressed disappointment that while similar challenges confronting other tertiary institutions are being addressed by the same government, those of the colleges of education were left in perpetual abeyance. He noted that the FG’s disposition towards the public colleges of education confirms the perception of the union that the current administration does not care about the less privileged, whose children constitute the majority of students in colleges of education

“No man can be courageous who has the fear of death in him. The threat of ‘no work, no pay’ is not meant for us who have value for freedom, and who are meant to fear slavery much more than death. History has equally shown that excess marginalization almost always produces a violent reaction. Enough is enough of exploitative work. If this is the price we must pay to resuscitate the colleges of education system and reposition it for its onerous assignment, then let it be. We stand in solidarity for total and indefinite strike until FG accedes to our demands.”