Lecturers of the Michael Otedola College of Primary Education, Epe, Lagos State said they have suspended their more than two months’ strike.
This followed an agreement with the authorities of the
institution.
The Chairman, Colleges of Education, Academic Staff Union,
MOCOPED Chapter, Michael Adefuye, said this in an interview with the News
Agency of Nigeria on Friday in Lagos.
Adefuye said the management of the college could not make
financial commitment to the union as demanded, but agreed to pay the
outstanding over N350 million unremitted pension fund on monthly basis.
He said: “The management agreed to alternate the payment of
the outstanding unremitted pension fund and the current fund on monthly basis.
“So, they will be paying it one month in for the outstanding
and one month out for the current and otherwise.”
Adefuye said the union also taught it wise to suspend the
strike in the interest of the students because some of the students might begin
to lose interest in the college and seek admission elsewhere.
He said: “The college already is short of students as we are
only trying to fill up our capacity and now the Unified Tertiary Matriculation
Examination result is valid for three years.
“The students may decide to use their results to find
admission elsewhere, thereby posing a threat on us.”
The chairman said the union was also made to suspend the
strike by some officials of the college authorities, among which was the
Governing Council.
According to him, the governing council had threatened to
sack the lecturers by accusing them of being politically-sponsored.
“The council also said it will recommend the closing down of
the College,” Adefuye said.
NAN reports that the lecturers, under the auspices of
COEASU, MOCOPED, Noforija, Epe Chapter, had on April18 declared an indefinite
strike.
The union said the strike was declared as a result of the
non-implementation of the union’s demands by the college authorities.
The union is demanding for the payment of over 42 months
un-remitted pensions to the Pension Fund Administrator after the state
government increased the subvention in 2013.
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