Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) has described recent 40 per cent rise for civil servants as promotion of “divide and conquer” by the Federal Government.
The president, Dr. Smart Olugbeko, in a statement, yesterday, said: “The union was happy that civil servants, who are drivers of government policies have been considered for salary increase, but however, appalled at government’s decision to exclude some categories of workers, including lecturers and other workers in tertiary institutions, even though the various unions in the sector have made several overtures to government on salary increase.
“The present action is an attempt by the Federal Government to divide Nigerian workers and cause confusion within the system. The discriminatory increase is an attempt to promote divide and rule and make Nigerian workers unable to speak with one voice on issues that affect their general welfare.
“Government, in granting the increase, explained that it was to enable civil servants cushion effect of inflation and increase in cost of living as if lecturers and other workers in the tertiary education sector are immune to inflation and geometrical rise in cost of living.
“It is disheartening to note that lecturers and other workers in colleges of education had their last increase in salary in 2010, which was 13 years ago. The implication is that what the lecturers were earning in 2010 is the same amount they still earn in 2023.”
According to him, there have been efforts to make government renegotiate the 2010 agreement.
He noted that the Federal Government eventually acceded to dialogue by inaugurating the FGN/COEASU Renegotiation Team in 2022 under the leadership of Prof. Kabiru Ishyaku, a former Executive Secretary of National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE).
Olugbeko, therefore, called on the Federal Government to, urgently, return to the renegotiation table.
