Ebonyi College Shutdown: Lecturers’ Strike Over Pay, Welfare Cripples Academic Activities
Ewa Nkechinyere
Academic activities at Ebonyi State College of Education, Ikwo, have ground to a halt as lecturers embarked on a one-week warning strike, shutting down lectures, halting examinations, and leaving the campus eerily deserted.
The action, declared by the College of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), followed the expiration of 14-day and 7-day ultimatums earlier issued to the state government and the institution’s management over what the union described as years of neglect and poor conditions of service.
At the heart of the dispute are demands for implementation of the 2024 salary structure, payment of living wages, and settlement of pensions and gratuities owed to retired staff.
“We are on strike because the 2024 salary structure has not been implemented. This is 2026 and nothing has been done,” said COEASU Chairman, Dr. Amma N. Nnachi.
He painted a grim picture of workers’ welfare, alleging that lecturers are still being paid under an outdated structure tied to the ₦18,000 minimum wage introduced over a decade ago.
“As I speak to you, some staff who have worked for 20 to 22 years earn less than ₦30,000. In today’s Nigeria, with fuel above ₦1,500 per litre, how do they survive?” he queried.
According to him, the situation has become life-threatening for many staff.
“Our members are dying almost on a daily basis because of hardship. This is no longer just about salaries; it is about survival,” Nnachi added.
The union also decried the non-payment of pensions and gratuities, describing the fate of retired staff as heartbreaking.
“You work for 35 years and go home with nothing no pension, no gratuity. It is not supposed to be so,” he said, warning that failure to address the issues after the warning strike would trigger an indefinite industrial action.
A union member reinforced the concerns, stressing that the government had failed in its most basic responsibility.
“All the infrastructure you see here is funded by external interventions. The only duty of the government is to pay salaries, and that is not being done,” he said.
The crisis has equally exposed the plight of retirees, many of whom say they have been abandoned after years of service.
“I retired in 2022 and till today I have received nothing. I survive from hand to mouth,” lamented a former lecturer, Oke Celestin.
Another retiree, Samuel Oualaka, described the situation as unbearable.
“We are suffering. Our colleagues elsewhere have been paid, but we have been left behind. Government should come to our aid,” he appealed.
But the management of the institution offered a different perspective, insisting that steps had been taken to address the issues.
Provost of the college, Prof. Benedict Chukwuma Mbam, confirmed that the unions were demanding implementation of the 2024 salary structure approved by the Salaries and Wages Commission.
“They are pressing for the implementation of the 2024 salary structure, and we have communicated this to the Ebonyi State Government,” he said.
Mbam expressed optimism that the impasse would soon be resolved once the state government responds.
“As soon as we hear from the governor, I believe the matter will be addressed. The government is responsible for their salaries,” he stated.
He also dismissed claims that students were abandoned on campus, explaining that management had directed them to proceed on a one-week Easter break.
“Students were asked to go on Easter break. Those still around are only confused due to the situation,” he clarified.
Despite these assurances, the shutdown has disrupted academic plans, particularly for students who were scheduled to sit for examinations before the Easter break.
Students, however, expressed frustration over the sudden disruption and appealed for urgent intervention.
Nkoko Uchena, a 200-level student, described the situation as discouraging.
“We came for our exams but met the gate locked. We are not happy at all. We had a lot to cover this week and next, but now everything is uncertain,” he said.
Another student, Oke Rose, lamented the impact on their academic progress.
“We were ready to write exams, but they said the strike is on. We heard staff have not been paid. We are pleading with the government to pay them so we can continue,” she said.
Also speaking, Nwigboji Prince Chukwuebuka appealed for a quick resolution.
“Whatever the issue is, they should resolve it so we can continue our education,” he said.
