Progressive development of colleges of education lies in NASS, presidency’s interest ― SSUCOEN

Members of the  Senior Staff Union of  Colleges of Education, Nigeria ( SSUCOEN)  unanimously declared that the progressive development of colleges of education in Nigeria absolutely depends on how much support the National Assemblies and the Presidency accord the institutions for their sustainability, quality performance and relevance in the Nigerian tertiary education system.

The union made the declaration recently, at the opening ceremony of the 2021  Federal College of Education, Special, Oyo’s SSUCOEN chapter annual week, organised to ruminate on the progress of administrative activities on the campus.

Speaking at the event, the National President of the union nationwide, Comrade Danladi Ali Msheliza expressed concern over the neglect that the colleges of education in Nigeria have been subjected to since many years ago.

According to him, the college of education is the only training centre where teachers for pre-primary, primary and basic education generally, are produced. In view of this, he said no government or proprietor of colleges of education in any country can afford to neglect the adequate funding for the effective management of the institution because of its relevance in the basic education development process He noted that education is a veritable tool for the development of any nation and no nation can develop beyond the quality of its education industry, most importantly colleges of education.

SSUCOEN National president declared that in as much as the senior staff of all the colleges of education in  Nigeria would want to put their best into the development process, the institutions must be rid of certain abnormalities that militate against the progress of Nigerian colleges of education spread across the federation.

He underscored some salient factors that the proprietors of colleges of education would address in order to position the status of colleges of education in Nigeria in the right perspective with their peers across the globe according to best practices.

Comrade  Danladi strongly appealed to the National Assemblies and the  Presidency to expedite actions to amend the old Act that established colleges of education in Nigeria and to produce a new act for the smooth running of colleges of education in Nigeria.

He said: “If the government would amend the old act that established college of education, the development would go a long way to reform the system for better operation. It is expected that the new act will afford the non-academic senior staff in the college the opportunity to have its representative at the Governing Council in the college. The new act will also make it possible for governing Council to enjoy the statutory fund through budgeted provisions to run its various activities and programmes in the college instead of sourcing funds from the  Internal Generated Revenue of the college,  as it was in the old act.

“Moreover, the new amended act will endorse a single term of five years for principal officers in the college. The development would go a long for other staff to rise to that position sooner than ever before. Incidentally, this issue of our clamouring for mainstreaming the demonstration school;  The Early childhood education and primary education study into college system will be resolved by the new act.

Workers who generate wealth for this country needed to be treated very well with realisable and sustainable wages. A situation where the dignity of workers is eroded calls for serious concern. This is high time the government looked inward towards the welfare and wellbeing of workers to induce workers’  productivity in the country. SSUCOEN is clamouring for the payment of the National minimum wages in the colleges of education and also wants the federal government to revisit the union’s renegotiation.

Speaking in the same vein, the chapter chairman of the union, Federal College of Education, Special, Oyo, Comrade Omobosola Oladipupo asserted that the expected productivity of workers from the employers might remain elusive in the face of paucity wages under toxic economy the country has found itself.  With no remedy in sight.

According to him, the union organized the one-week-long programme activities, an annual event,  for members’  retrospection on our service activities on the campus and to ruminate on the way forward for the progress of the college.

He Said: “ The theme for this year union week which we entitled as  Economic Toxicity, Wages paucity and service Quality; way forward for National Dignity was considered for discussion in view of the economic downturn Nigerians are currently experiencing.  To chat the way forward informed the union to invite erudite professor AdeoluAkandeto to deliver a  lecture in that direction.  We are in a  situation when the gross salary cannot cater for our net responsibility and worse still when what we pay to the government as a utility is more than our take-home salary.

Professor Adeolu Akande who delivered the Keynote address at the event, based on the theme, Economic toxicity, wages paucity and service quality: the way forward for National Development admitted the adverse effect of the toxic economy on the Nigerian populace and how it is eroding the purchasing power of workers in the society.

While he sympathized with the civil servants in the country for paucity wages, he underscored the fact that quality service is inevitable in the resuscitation process of a toxic economy. According to him, productivity is key to development, as he asserted that workers deserved reasonable and sustainable salaries/wages.

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