Lecturers Suspend Strike
For a “cool-off-period of 60 days,” the lecturers from the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) have called off their continuing strike.
The COEASU President, Dr. Smart Olugbeko, and the union’s General Secretary, Dr. Ahmed Bazza, provided confirmation of the news on Friday in Abuja.
According to Olugbeko, “enormous progress” had been made in the current negotiations with the Federal Government when the suspension was announced.
He said that the decision to halt the strike was made following the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, which was conducted in Abuja to review the progress of the problems that had caused the three-week rollover of the nationwide strike.
According to him, as evident in the enormous progress made in the ongoing renegotiation and the appreciable level of progress made towards the amendment of the Colleges of Education Establishment Act, which is paramount for the development of the COE system.
“NEC resolved that the nationwide strike that started on June 10, be suspended for a cool-off-period of 60 days.
“This is to give the government the opportunity to perfect the progress made so far into tangible achievements that are acceptable to the union.
”After which the NEC shall reconvene to re-assess the status of the issues and decide the way forward, ”he said.
He, therefore, commended critical stakeholders for their intervention and dogged commitment to the resolution of the issues.
Olugbeko also said NEC decried the high level of insecurity in the country, as evident with the increase in the spate of kidnapping, banditry, killings, and other social vices.
“NEC, therefore, calls on governments at all levels to address the situation more proactively by beefing up security on all campuses.
“As the system is being reopened for teaching and learning, and across the nation in general, ’’he said.
The union president, therefore, commended the governments of Imo, Kwara, Osun, and Oyo for the resolution of the lingering issues in their respective colleges of education.
