By Victor Ahiuma-Young

LAGOS — THE indefinite nationwide strike embarked upon since Friday by workers of the 104 Federal Government Colleges, FGCs, otherwise known as Unity Schools, has crippled activities at the colleges throughout the country, making a mess of the resumption of academic and other activities from today.

Also affected by the strike called by Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN, are the headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Education, FME, as well as the Inspectorate Departments of the Ministry throughout the country expected to be shut from today.

The workers are protesting among others, non-payment of outstanding promotion arrears for 2007-2010 and the balance of 2011 promotion arrears; promotion arrears for 2012-2013; unpaid salaries to some staff for July, August, September, and October 2013; end-of-year incentives; non-payment of 1st 28 days in lieu of hotel accommodation; 2010 Head of Service organised mandatory training allowance, repatriation allowance, duty tour allowance and non-placement of promoted officers.

Confirming the development in Lagos, Secretary General of ASCSN, Mr. Alade Bashir Lawal, claimed the FME admitted that N1.8 billion was released to it this year by the Federal Government to settle all outstanding liabilities including salaries and allowances and wondered if the money had entered into ‘’voice mail” as usual.

According to him: ‘’On Wednesday, August 20, 2014, the National Leadership of the Union met with the Permanent Secretary and other top officials of the Ministry where the Ministry gave its words that all the outstanding arrears of promotion would be paid on or before August 31, 2014.

“However, the Leadership of the Union gave the Ministry an extension up to Friday, September 12, 2014 to effect all the payment.”

He noted that when it became apparent that the Ministry had not commenced payment of promotion arrears and outstanding salaries as agreed with the union, the national leadership of the Association wrote a letter including a reminder to the FME on what was agreed at the last meeting.

Mr. Lawal argued that the management of the FME consequently fixed a meeting with the leadership of the Association for Wednesday, September 17, 2014, saying, ‘’on Wednesday , September 17, 2010, when the national leadership of the union turned up for the meeting at the headquarters of the Ministry at the scheduled time, neither the Honourable Minister, the Permanent Secretary nor any top official of the Ministry was available for the parley.”

He recalled that all agreements entered into by the union with the management of the FME over the years to pay these outstanding salaries and allowances had always been breached with impunity, lamenting that “since the management of the FME has refused to pay the outstanding salaries and allowances, the teeming members of the union in the Ministry including those in the 104 Federal Unity Colleges have embarked on indefinite strike till the outstanding salaries, promotion arrears, and other entitlements are paid in full.”