Union appeals to LASG not to shortchange staff amidst school upgrade process

The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED) Chapter, has appealed to the school’s authorities not to shortchange members of staff as the college gets upgraded to a university of education.

The Chairman of COEASU, AOCOED Chapter,Mr Ige Ajayi, made the appeal at a news conference organised by the union on Tuesday in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Lagos State Government has approved upgrade of AOCOED to Lagos State University of Education.

The change of the institution’s status was disclosed in a statement on Dec. 30, 2021 and it was signed by Mr Ajani Owolabi, the Chairman of Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Education (Tertiary Institutions).

Ajayi said that the staff members were ready to cooperate with the state, the committee and the college’s management to ensure a smooth transition.

“COEASU appreciates Lagos State Government and efforts of all in the realisation of this noble and indelible achievement.

“About 80 per cent of academic staff of AOCOED have already started their PhD programmes, we also have PHD holders among non-academics staff,” he said.

Ajayi added that the staff were competent to tackle any task.

“It is imperative and instructive to state here that a committee of COEASU was instituted sometime ago to look into the resumes of our members.

“We invited veteran professors to help look at the resumes in order to know how our members are going to be placed in order not to be shortchanged.

“We appreciate the college management for her role especially under the current Leader, Prof. Bidemi Lafiaji-Okuneye,” he said.

The unionist urged the management of the college to pay the staff outstanding arrears of entitlements and improve relationships with them.

Mr Victor Akinola, the academic representative of the college’s governing council, also appealed to the college management not to shortchange the staff.

Akinola said that the staff needed moratorium for growth, appointment, renumeration and publication, among other things.

“The moratorium should be friendly in all standards to accommodate all staff,” he said.

Mr Michael Alaka, Secretary of the union, urged the state government to upgrade facilities in the school for seamless transmission into a university.