Academic staff of FCET Bichi begins warning strike

The Academic Staff Union of Federal College of Education (FCE Technical) Bichi, in Kano State, has commenced a one-week warning strike.

The strike was over alleged poor learning environment in the college.

The Chairman, Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), FCE Technical Bichi branch, Mr Muhammad Salisu, announced their decision while briefing newsmen on Tuesday in Kano.

According to him, the one-week industrial action was to compel the management of the school to address what it described as a poor learning environment and prevailing insecurity conditions.

He further said that the action was also to draw the attention of government officials to hurriedly intervene in addressing the broken laboratories, halls and hostels to provide a conducive learning environment for the students.

According to him, the security outfit contracted by the college to provide security services are owed over six months allowance, leading to poor security situation on the campus.

He also alleged that offices were being burgled by yet to be identified criminals, adding that office equipment and personal belongings of the staff such as laptops were being stolen from offices.

He added that student hostels were also affected by the activities of criminals, saying that necessary and urgent measures needed to be taken to address the issue.

Salisu lamented that staff of the college were also owed a huge backlog of unpaid allowances, adding that the campus had remained unkempt in recent time.

According to the union leader, cleaners are not paid their entitlements, exposing the campus inhabitants to possible disease outbreak.

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He further alleged that the management of the college have failed to respect their earlier agreement, warning that if their demands are not met at the end of the one week strike, the union would order its members to proceed on an indefinite strike.

“In the past 10 years, graduates of FCE Bichi were not issued with the mandatory teachers’ certificate by the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, (TRCN), ” he said.

Contacted on the development, the management of the college said they were making arrangements to also brief the media on the issue. (NAN)