The organized labour has threatened to shut down Federal Government Colleges, FGC, known as unity schools over poor welfare, staff shortage, among others.
The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN, that umbrella’ members from the college, expressed dissatisfaction that the Federal Ministry of Education has refused to address the poor conditions of workers.
ASCSN, in a 21-day ultimatum issued to the government, vowed to order workers in the institutions to down tools and commence a nationwide strike should the government fail to address its demands.
Other demands include “disarticulation of junior secondary schools from the senior secondary schools to create vacancies in the directorate level; payment of transport allowance and DTA to Federal Education Quality Assurance Service (FEQAS) staff; exorbitant medical fees charged members of staff by the Health Management Organisation (HMO) under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).”
ASCSN Secretary General, Joshua Apebo, stated that the group has since presented its requests since 2023 through series of letters to the Federal Ministry of Education to address welfare issues affecting its members in the 110 Unity Colleges throughout the Country, among others had been treated with contempt.
The letter read: “The outstanding welfare issues include payment of promotion, salary, and elongation arrears; payment of allowance to Education Officers displaced from the Unity Schools in the North-East, payment of 1st 28 days in lieu of hotel accommodation as stipulated in the Public Service Rules.”
“There are also issues of regularization of appointment of PTA teachers, implementation of the White Paper which stipulates that Unity of the Association in the 110 Federal Unity Schools should be members of the School Based Management Committees, SBMCs, so that they could be part of the decision-making processes in the Schools, scholarship for children of Education Officers in Colleges where their parents teach in line with the directive of former President, Muhammadu Buhari."
“Since all efforts to bring the Federal Ministry of Education to the dialogue table have been frustrated and since the national leadership of the Association could no longer contain the restiveness of its members in the Unity Colleges and FEQAS, no further notice would be required after the expiration of the 21 days ultimatum issued on Thursday 23rd January 2025 before Trade Union actions start in the Unity Schools and FEQAS.”