EBONYI COLLEGE WORKERS’ WARNING STRIKE DISRUPTS ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES
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Agency Report
A one-week warning strike by the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), Ebonyi College of Education, Ikwo chapter, over unpaid benefits has brought academic activities at the institution to a standstill.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the strike, which began on Monday, has disrupted lectures, examinations, and other academic programmes.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the COEASU chapter Chairman, Dr. Ama Nnachi, and made available to journalists on Tuesday in Abakaliki.
Nnachi said the industrial action followed the expiration of earlier ultimatums — a 14-day and a seven-day notice — given to the state government and the institution’s management over what the union described as years of neglect and poor working conditions.
“We embarked on the strike due to the non-implementation of the 2024 salary structure. Now in 2026, no action has been taken,” Nnachi said.
He added that the union is also demanding the payment of a living wage, as well as the settlement of pensions and gratuities owed to retired staff.
According to him, lecturers are still being paid under an outdated salary structure linked to the ₦18,000 minimum wage introduced more than a decade ago.
Nnachi lamented that some staff members with between 20 and 22 years of service currently earn less than ₦30,000, describing the situation as unsustainable in the present economic climate.
“With petrol selling above ₦1,500 per litre, how are they expected to survive?” he queried.
He noted that the situation had become life-threatening for many employees of the institution, adding that the hardship was taking a severe toll on staff.
“Our members are dying almost on a daily basis due to the harsh conditions. This has gone beyond salaries; it is now a matter of survival,” the union leader said.
The union also criticised the non-payment of pensions and gratuities, describing the condition of retired staff as heartbreaking.
“You dedicate 35 years of service and leave with nothing—no pension, no gratuity. This should not be the case,” Nnachi added.
He warned that if the issues remain unresolved after the warning strike, the union would embark on an indefinite industrial action.Meanwhile, a lecturer who spoke with NAN on condition of anonymity echoed the union’s concerns, stating that the government had failed in its fundamental responsibility.
“All infrastructure within the institution is funded through external interventions. The government’s primary responsibility is the payment of salaries, and even that is not being fulfilled,” the lecturer said.
He added that the situation also highlights the plight of retired academic staff, who claim they have been abandoned after years of service.
One retiree, Mr. Celestine Oke, lamented that he has yet to receive his pension or gratuity years after leaving service.
“I retired in 2022, and till date, I have not been paid my pension or gratuity. I survive from hand to mouth,” Oke said.
Another retiree, Samuel Uwalaka, described the situation as unbearable.
“We are suffering. While our counterparts elsewhere have been paid, we have been left behind. The government should come to our aid,” Uwalaka said.
Reacting to the development, the Provost of the college, Prof. Benedict Mbam, confirmed that the union is demanding the implementation of the 2024 salary structure approved by the Salaries and Wages Commission.
“They are advocating for the implementation of the 2024 salary structure, and we have conveyed this to the state government,” he said.
“As soon as we receive a response from the governor, I believe the issue will be resolved. The government is responsible for the payment of their salaries,” Mbam added.
He expressed optimism that the impasse would be resolved once the state government intervenes.
The provost also dismissed claims that students had been abandoned on campus, stating that management had directed them to proceed on a one-week Easter break.
“Students were asked to go on Easter break. Those still on campus are likely uncertain due to the situation,” he explained.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the strike has disrupted the institution’s academic calendar, particularly affecting students who were scheduled to sit for examinations before the Easter break.
NAN
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