Abuja, Nov. 20, 2023 – The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union has commended President, Bola Tinubu for suspending the policy on deduction of 40 per cent from internal revenue of tertiary institutions.
The union made the commendation in a statement issued on Monday, describing the earlier directive as a backward policy.
The Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, announced the suspension of the policy on Friday at the University of Ibadan.
In the statement, COEASU said: “The leadership of our great union receives with immense satisfaction the decision of the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to suspend the backward policy directing tertiary institutions, including colleges of education, to start remitting 40 per cent of a non-existent IGR to the federal treasury.
“While we knew absolutely that the policy would not stand as we were poised to resist it with all legitimate powers we possess as a trade union in the sector, we must acknowledge the sense of good reason, listening disposition, democratic ethos, and responsible leadership shown by Mr President in suspending the policy without allowing the situation to degenerate into an unnecessary faceoff between labour and government.
“We, therefore, commend Mr President for his sensitivity and amiability on the matter.
“With this gesture of Mr President, it seems to us that our union has eventually found a government that is compatible in disposition with our union towards an alternative dispute resolution approach through constructive engagement, social dialogue, and proactive bargaining characterised by mutual respect and pliability to superior logic.
“Nonetheless, we urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to go a step further by deploying this promising disposition to urgently address funding challenges in the College of Education system and other tiers of the tertiary education sector altogether.” (GBN)
