According to a report by The PUNCH, the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union has directed its members nationwide to “immediately” withdraw their services.

The lecturers accused the Federal Government of failing to provide outstanding N441 billion resulting from the recieved NEEDS Assessment of the Federal Colleges of Education.

The President of COEASU, Nuhu Ogirima, made this known during a press conference in Abuja on Thursday.

He said, “We have directed our members nationwide to withdraw their services with effect from today (Thursday).

“It is quite evident that the union’s agitation is an existential struggle geared towards revitalisation of the COE system. As the main entity for the training of the teachers and managers of the foundation level of the nation’s education system, the sustained neglect of COEs portends a grave implication for the development of the entire educational system.

“So, the union hereby formally declares that all options are open for an industrial action against the Federal Government and some notorious state governments. The public should take notice that the NEC shall reconvene shortly to unveil the series of measures that the union shall take towards bailing the COE system from the doldrums and further decadence inherent in the wanton neglect by the government.”

According to him, several efforts through correspondences to get the Federal Government to attend to the demands of the FCsoE in Nigeria failed to yield results.

The COEASU President also alleged that Federal Government had been manipulating academic staff salary with the imposition of the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System; unilateral stoppage of payment of academic staff on sabbatical leave; imposition of non-negotiated Personal Income Tax and over deduction of payable amount of Contributory Pension Scheme.