The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) has expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for abandoning the proposal that required tertiary institutions, including colleges of education, to remit 40 percent of their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to the national treasury. The union sees this decision as indicative of the President’s receptiveness.
Smart Olugbeko, the President of COEASU, conveyed this sentiment in a statement released on Monday in Abuja. In the statement, Olugbeko urged the Federal Government to reconsider the centralization of payroll administration through the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS). He pointed out that this policy undermines the statutory functions of Governing Councils and compromises the integrity of the tertiary education sector, specifically the College of Education system.
According to Olugbeko, IPPIS has become a tool for defrauding COEASU members, resulting in numerous instances of short-payment, complete non-payment, unjustified delays, and withholding of third-party deductions. He called on President Tinubu to reevaluate the IPPIS issue in the interest of justice and industrial harmony.
In response to the suspension of the 40% IGR remittance, COEASU expressed satisfaction with the President’s decision. Olugbeko commended President Tinubu for demonstrating reason, a listening disposition, democratic ethos, and responsible leadership in suspending the policy without allowing it to escalate into a labor-government confrontation.
While acknowledging the President’s positive actions, COEASU urged him to extend this cooperative disposition to promptly address funding challenges in the College of Education system and other tiers of the tertiary education sector. The union emphasized the importance of resolving issues through social dialogue and collective bargaining to ensure industrial peace and an undisrupted academic calendar.
COEASU raised concerns about the centralization of payroll administration through IPPIS, highlighting its adverse effects on the autonomy of Governing Councils, the erosion of the authority of Provosts, and the violation of global best practices in tertiary institution management. The union also urged President Tinubu to address the illegal dismissal of Governing Councils, conclude the overdue renegotiation of the COEASU-FG 2010 agreement, review the monthly running grant for Colleges of Education, and promptly release funds.
Additionally, COEASU emphasized the need to resolve outsourced services issues, such as security and cleaning, and urged the immediate implementation of special bursaries and grants for education students in Universities and Colleges of Education.