Strike: Anambra College of Education Lecturers Urge Parents to Withdraw Students

David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

Lecturers of the Federal College of Education (Technical), Umunze in Anambra State have urged parents of students of the institution to withdraw their wards as academic activities have been grounded in the institution due to an industrial action embarked upon by the lecturers.

The Chairman of College of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), Federal College of Education, Umunze Chapter, Dr. Churchill Okonkwo, who spoke to journalists at the weekend said the body has commenced a three weeks warning strike.

He said the strike was as a result of reluctance by management to meet some of their payment needs.

Okonkwo said the strike commenced last Tuesday, after an extensive meeting of members of the union, who expressed displeasure over indebtedness to them by the management.

“We are here to notify you that lecturers of Federal College of Education, Umunze have commenced a three weeks warning strike.

“We believe we want to let the public know, especially parents of our students who may want to believe that their children were in school undergoing academic activities to know that no academic activity is going on in the college now.

“The management of the college has been trying to deny the strike, but truth is that the students are simply staying idle in school, and we believe it is a bit harmful to leave students on campus to stay idle without any activity,” Okonkwo said.

Speaking on why the lecturers went on strike, Okonkwo said there have been outstanding issues involving payment which the management of the college has been unable to meet.

“Mobilisation of academic staff who go for supervision of students doing their teaching practice, that is the daily DTA for their mobilisation has not been paid since 2018.

“There is also the TETFUND intervention in teaching practice, which helps to augment whatever the college gives for teaching practice supervision, and in Umunze it has not been accessed since 2017, and other welfare packages like degree Honorarium.

“We have been patient for too long, yet this money doesn’t get paid every year. We have even sent a peace committee made up of former acting provosts to meet the provost of the college, Dr. Tessy Okoli, but she has refused to budge.

“For seven years now we have not been paid that mobilisation, yet the provost has remained adamant. That is why we decided to go on strike.”