By Caleb Ijioma
The National Public Relations Officer (P.R.O) of the College of Education Staff Union (COESU), Dr. Ahmed Lawan Bazza, has said that the Federal Government’s directive to reopen all schools may be catastrophic to an already stressed nation in terms of public Health Facilities
In an interview with our correspondent, he posited that the implementation of the needs assessment in Public Tertiary Institutions is also a key factor in addressing some of the issues of Resumption
“COEASU is not averse to schools resumption but all the COVID-19 protocol especially the none pharmaceuticals aspect as presented by the Presidential Taskforce should be implemented”
“Any inadequate preparation in that regard could result in a spike, which may be catastrophic to an already stressed nation in terms of public health facilities.”
“The implementation of the NEEDS assessment in public tertiary institutions is also a key factor in addressing some of the issues.”
“The government need to show the political will in their handling of teacher Education and indeed education in Nigeria”
Dr. Ahmed disclosed that the government is yet to attend to the demands of the union. The union have however declared an industrial action calling on the Federal Government to attend to their demands.
Some of the demands made by COESU includes the implementation of Needs assessment, Renegotiation on the 2009 agreement with the government, Review of the Act establishing the Colleges of Education, State Government insensitivity to the plight of Colleges of Education in the states, Autonomy to award degree also known as Dual Mode, Review of Outsource services and mainstreaming of our securities into government payroll, Integration of our staff schools as components of Colleges of Education in Nigeria
Speaking on the resumption of college’s of education in line with the Federal Government directive to reopen schools, he said that the union will be having a National Executive Council meeting next week to take positions in the issues of the industrial concern.
National association of Nigeria colleges of education students reacts
The National President of National Association of Nigeria Colleges of Education Students (NANCES), Mahmud Abubakar, have supported the Union industrial action decision saying the demand of COESU is reasonable
He disclosed that the Federal Government are in the habit of not fulfilling the demands of the Staff Union.
“The demand of COEASU is reasonable, the federal government are used to marginalising college of education in terms of everything maybe because the colleges belong to the lowest income earners in the country and maybe that’s why the Government Government do not see their demands as a priority”
“They always find it difficult to listen to d demand of COEASU anytime they make demands. Even when they went on strike it took the government a while before they responded simply because they don’t see it as a necessity”
“All COEASU is fighting is for teachers education not to die totally in this country as you know colleges are the teacher producing institution and any country that neglect its teachers or teacher producing institution is sitting on a gun powder”
Mahmud Abubakar, however, appealed to the Staff union and Federal Government to hasten up with their decisions as students are waiting to resume
“So our stand is that we are with COEASU and we are calling on the FG to please listen to them for the sake of the future teachers of this country”
“COEASU too should pity the students that have been sitting at home all this while because college students are the teachers in making so they are the future teachers”
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