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From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki
Academic activities have been paralysed at the Ebonyi State College of Education, Ikwo, following a one-week warning strike declared by lecturers of the institution, over alleged poor conditions of service.
The lecturers, who are agitating for the implementation of living wages, payment of pension and gratuity to retired staff, and other improved conditions of service, had issued 14 and seven days ultimatum to the state government and school management to address their conditions before embarking on the warning strike yesterday.
When Daily Sun visited the college, its entrance gate, offices, lecture halls as well as laboratories were under lock and keys with the premises deserted.
The second semester examinations of the college, which was scheduled to commence yesterday, according to the school timetable, couldn’t be held.
Only a few students were on campus loitering.
One of the students, Uchenna Nchoko, expressed sadness over the strike.
“We are actually preparing for our exams but, actually, we do not like how they are responding to the exams at the moment. Most of us have many things to cover up this week and next week. But, now, it’s like we are going to quit the school because it is not actually giving us what we expected”, he stated.
He urged the state government and management of the college to address the demands of the lecturers, to enable them continue with the examinations.
The Chairman, College of Education Academic Staff Union in the school, Dr. Ama Nnachi, said the lecturers were on strike as a result of the failure of the school management vis-a -vis the government to pay them the 2024 salary structure.
He lamented that since 2010, the lecturers have been receiving a salary structure based on N18,000 minimum wage, describing their conditions as pathetic.
“By implication, as I’m talking to you, there are some of our staff that have worked for 22 years, 20 years, and their salary is not up to N30,000.
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“In 2026, when a litre of fuel is N1,500, transportation cost has skyrocketed, and because of that, even the one that they were paying, they were not paying it fully. It was fragmented, 87%. Imagine the difference from that period to now and our members are dying.
“We are dying almost on a daily basis. So, we are demanding that the state government should pay us the 70% minimum wage as applicable in all colleges of education.
“Another thing that you should know is that our retired members are not paid. So, if you work 35 years, you just go home and die. It is not supposed to be so”, he lamented.
When contacted, the Provost of the college, Professor Benedict Mbam, dismissed the cancellation of the second semester examination. He said the students were not in the school because they were asked to go for Easter holidays.
He also dismissed the claim by the lecturers that they are receiving below N18,000 as salaries. He denied the allegations by the lecturers that he has not been showing concern and presented their welfare issues to the state governor.
“Everything about union, they call it fights. This is in discussion or dialogue or whatever, or communication, they say fights. That is their language.
“If I show you my communication with his Excellency, the Governor, you would know that it is not true. I carried their agitation to this end.
“What they may say is that it is not quickly yielding results. But to say that I have not is a lie. If you want, I will show you letters here, in communications with the government.
“Those that are receiving N100,000, N300,000, they are not mentioning those ones. You are paid according to your grades. It is according to your grades. And they don’t look at the pay slips, they don’t look at the deductions. Some people are on loan in three places.
“Some borrow from banks, some borrow from cooperative societies. At the end, your salary will be, sometimes, below N10,000. But we are mindful of one thought.
“We have one thought according to civil service law. So, if you are receiving N60,000 and at the end you have N20,000, it means you are on loan. And that is not your true salary”, he said.
