Govt raises panel over colleges’ bid to award degrees

THE Federal Government Monday set up a committee to consider the demand of colleges of education in the country to award degree certificate as applicable in the universities. Award of degree by the colleges was one of the major demands of the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union, (COEASU) which has been on strike since December last year. Constituting the 10-man panel in Abuja, yesterday, Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, said government was displeased and uncomfortable with the ongoing closure of the nation’s public colleges of education and polytechnics. He said: “We are aware that colleges of education are currently on strike and one of the reasons they have given for the strike has to do with the colleges of education being able to award both NCE and the Bachelor of Education certificates. In order to douse the tension and be able to see how we can move a step further, we are setting up this committee to look at the merit or otherwise of colleges of education to award both NCE and BSc certificates. Of course, this will go a long way to assure COEASU that government is doing everything humanly possible to see how to resolve these problems.” He urged COEASU to call off its strike and allow for continued dialogue, adding, “It does not pay us. Government is not happy at all. Forget about what anybody may say, no government is happy at all. That is why whatever we can do to see us taking steps to see how we can call off this strike. The committee, chaired by Permanent Secretary in the ministry, MacJohn Uwaobiala, has about four weeks to submit its report. Meanwhile, President of COEASU, Mr. Emmanuel Asagha, gave the Federal Government conditions for ending the strike, during an interview with journalists at the event. Asagha, who lauded the constitution of the panel for award of the degree, said there must be concrete agreement between the union and government before the strike could be suspended. “There is hope, I will not be pessimistic. There is hope; we are all thinking about how the system can run successfully. If we have to keep fighting continuously, definitely, there will be no end to this war. We hope that by the grace of God, after the constitution of this committee, we are looking up to the time when the minister will invite us again, because as you know, salaries of staff have been held for the past three months or four months going. And people could be victimised for one reason or the other. We must get on the table and let there be a succinct agreement that people will not be victimised; that salaries will be paid, while we continue discussions on the other issues, so that the system does not suffer forever,” Asagha noted