Senior Staff Union Opposes Appointment of Principal Officers for Six New Colleges of Education

Workers in Nigerian Colleges of Education under the auspices of Senior Staff Union in Colleges of Education, Nigeria (SSUCOEN), have written to the Federal Government demanding the immediate “redress” in the appointment of Principal officers for six newly established colleges.

SSUCOEN made the demand in a letter dated April 13, signed by its President, Danladi Msheliza, and directed to the Minister of Education.

The federal government last May approved the establishment of six new federal colleges of education, one in each of the six geo-political zones of the country.

The new institutions are located at Bauchi, Benue, Ebonyi, Osun, Sokoto and Edo States.

About two weeks ago, the Ministry of Education in a statement released by the spokesperson of the ministry, Ben Bem Goong, announced the appointment of Provosts and other Principal Officers for the six new Federal Colleges of Education.

But in its letter, the union described the appointments as “illegal and usurpation of the power” of the existing governing councils of the institutions.

Msheliza said of the six institutions, the union only gave approval to the appointment of the provost for the college of education in Edo State.

While acknowledging that only the President, Muhammadu Buhari, has the powers to appoint provosts upon recommendations of the council, the union said it has a duty to point out infractions and draw the attention of government and other relevant authorities to ensure that due process is followed while considering such appointments.

The letter noted that the appointment of principal officers is the prerogative of the council.

The union urged President Buhari and the Education minister, Adamu Adamu, to immediately set aside the appointments of the other provosts and principal officers in the interest of industrial harmony and the avoidance of court injunctions.

SSUCOEN, an affiliate of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), also argued that majority of the appointees do not meet the requirements for the appointment.

According to the letter, principal officers in Colleges of Education must have a background from the education sub-sector as provided for in the approved Schemes and Conditions of Service (2015 Edition) for Colleges of Education in Nigeria.

Msheliza said the appointments were mostly based on political considerations, without due and diligent considerations to extant rules, noting that such will create a bad precedence in the newly established institutions.