by crossriverwatch admin
College of Education Academic Staff Union, COEASU Cross River State College of Education Akamkpa, Chapter has suspended its three months old strike following an interaction with the State governor, Sen. Liyel Imoke and the new provost of the college, Dr. James Ejue recently.
This was disclosed yesterday by the CRSCOEA Chapter Chair Comrade Agba Linus while addressing newsmen in his office.
He noted that the suspension is for just two months to consolidate with the new provost and give him a reasonable platform to re-open discussions.
His words: “When he met with the governor he presented our problems, indirectly he is saying it is unfortunate that he will resume office while the lecturers were on strike and Sen. Imoke enquired to know why it was so, and then replied Ejue that the academic staff are on strike as a result of many reasons but majorly because of the non implementation of promotions.
He also referred to the fact that this was delayed because the Head of Service had instructed that the staff should come and write promotion examination, the governor laughed and asked whether academic staff do write promotion examination and then asked the Commissioner to prepare a memo and present to him and he will sign approving the implementation of the promotion”.
According to him, they as a chapter have only three issues which are “implementation of the conditions of service which has been done, adjustment of retirement age from 60 to 65 on our pay slip which the accountant general has promised to do revealing that they couldn’t do so because the state government was owing the contractor hired for the job and that of promotion implementation, the governor has promised to take immediate action.
“On that note we have no choice than to suspend the strike but if at the expiration of the two months nothing tangible is done then we will continue but if a giant stride is taken then we will finally call off the strike.”
Though the national COEASU strike is still ongoing, he however maintained that as a state owned institution they have no business being on strike even if there is a national strike except we have issues with our state government that is the proprietor of the institution.
He added that for solidarity sake they can support their colleagues on a solidarity strike, which he said they have already gone, “So if the Cross River State Government decides to respond to us, we will call off our strike”, Comrade Agba said.
Mr. Agba used the occasion to commend the new provost of the college, Dr. James Ejue for successfully taking over from Prof. Anthony Owan Eno who is now the Vice Chancellor of Cross River University of Technology, CRUTECH.
He said his union is ready to support Ejue’s tenure in all ramifications if the new provost stays on track.
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