...as three
days warning strike ends Tuesday
On Friday
precisely, May 5, 2017 an ongoing second semester examination was put to a halt
following a-3- Day warning strike embarked upon by members of staff of the
Akwa
Ibom State College of Education under the aegis of Joint Council of Unions.
One day to
the end of the warning strike, management of the Institution seems to pay deaf
ears and treat it with extreme and gratuitous levity as the Chairman, Governing
Council of the Institution, Mrs. Regina Ikpat when contacted by Century
Newsfront claimed ignorant of whatever goes on there.
In her
response sent through sms from her 0802375….. airtel line, she noted,
“I have not
been briefed by the management of the College why union embark on strike.
Please, you can meet with the Management, thank you.”
On his part,
the Provost of the College, Prof. Matthew Ekpo after failed appointments given
to Century Newsfront noted on phone that until the warning strike is called off
he cannot have any audience with the media.
When
contacted on phone, the Commissioner for Education, Mr. Paul Udofia who
previously was responding to calls, reneged in appointment given to journalists
handed his phone over to his wife to speak to Century Newsfront.
The Unions
stance, which was made available to Century Newsfront and signed by the three
union Chairmen and Secretaries observed that their grievances included cut in
salaries; non release of approved entitlements to deserving staff; maintenance
of multiple bank accounts, which encourage fraudulent practices; refusal to conduct
the 2016 promotion exercise for deserving staff; non-payment of promotion
arrears and other entitlements; introduction of illegal and alien policy in
creating AP & DC (Senior-Academic) and AP & DC
(Senior-Administrative, Technical & Professional) among others.
They called
for prompt intervention of the state government to redress the anomalies in the
college as well as a total overhaul of the Bursary Department as it has caused
lots of hardship to members of staff, “the staff of this college have continued
to suffer unduly as a result of the irregularities going on in the Bursary
Department; whereas the Governing Council has been misled and embarrassed by
the unwholesome activities of the Bursary Department as exemplified by the
operation of multiple bank accounts several of which may not have been
officially declared, fearing that the on goings in the college may gradually,
but inevitably snowball into industrial unrest, if not quickly arrested”, the
union prayed.
The staff
members also called for immediate payment of arrears, unpaid personnel
emoluments and other entitlements as well as payment of 7.5 per cent
Contributive Pensions to eligible staff, which according to them, was
misappropriated by the college management. They noted that failure to address
these, the union would be forced to embark on indefinite strike without notice.
A visit to
the college premises Century Newsfront observed that the ongoing first semester
examination has been thwarted by the industrial action while the Special
Assistant to the Governor on Education Matters, Otobong Akpan who had a
function to attend at the College premises could not attend anymore and provost
of the College, Prof. Matthew Ekpo was barred from gaining entrance into the
college by irritant unionists.
In a chat
with Century Newsfront, the Chairman, Joint Council of Unions in the Akwa Ibom
State College of Education, Mr. Ene Archibong expressed dissatisfaction over
what he described as management issues. He maintained that if the right thing
is done, there would not be any reason for strike action. Mr. Archibong noted
with delight the decision of the Unions to allow some relevant departments
responsible for the issuance of certificate to go on in what he described as skeletal
work to pave way for ex-students to collect certificates so as to apply in the
ongoing job vacancy declared by the state government.
The Chairman
decried a situation where the state government treats very important issues
with what he described as kids’ gloves, explained that the issue of
accommodating the “11 academic staff (Chief and Principal lecturers) on whose
behalf the State House of Assembly intervened regarding the issue of 65 years
retirement as approved for academic staff of state owned Tertiary Institutions;
payment of salaries to five academic staff reinstated by government since
march, 2016” are yet to be implemented thereby flaunting the decisions of the
legislative arm of government.
- By Saviour
Ekpe
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