By Shindong Bala; Editing by Basirat Memudu
The Academic Staff Union of the College of Education COEASU, Gidan Waya, Kaduna State, has appealed to the Kaduna State Government to urgently improve infrastructure and staff remuneration at the institution to retain its highly qualified workforce and sustain quality teacher education.
Chairman of COEASU, College of Education Gidan Waya, Comrade Christopher Nuhu Yerima, made the appeal during an event organised to honour the Kaduna State Commissioner for Education, Professor Abubakar Sani Sambo, in Kaduna.
Dr. Yerima said the college had recorded remarkable progress in teacher education and academic development but lamented that inadequate infrastructure and poor remuneration were threatening its achievements.
He explained that the institution currently has about 90 PhD holders, with more than 50 other lecturers undergoing doctoral studies, stressing that the widening salary disparity between state-owned and Federal colleges of education had made it increasingly difficult to retain experienced academics.
According to him, although Governor Uba Sani approved the implementation of 70 per cent of the salary structure for colleges of education and polytechnics last year after years of agitation, the recent review of academic staff salaries at the federal level has widened the remuneration gap to about 70 per cent.
Staff Exodus For Greener Pasture
The COEASU chairman warned that the growing disparity had triggered an exodus of qualified lecturers to newly established universities and better-paying institutions, noting that more than 15 lecturers had already left for the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia, while others had secured appointments elsewhere.
He appealed to the state government to implement the outstanding components of the salary structure to curb the brain drain and preserve the quality manpower required for the successful implementation of the college’s newly approved dual mandate, which allows it to award both National Certificate in Education (NCE) and degree qualifications.
Yerima also called for increased overhead funding for the college, describing teacher education as the foundation of any functional educational system, stressing that adequate funding was necessary to provide quality training for future teachers.
Poor Road Network
He further appealed for the construction of internal road networks, lecture theatres and a befitting administrative block, noting that the institution’s poor road network and inadequate facilities no longer reflected its growing academic reputation and increasing student enrolment.
The union leader observed that the college recently received national recognition from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for its outstanding admission process and enrolment, adding that improved infrastructure had become imperative to accommodate the rising number of students.
KDSG Commitment to COEASU
Responding, Kaduna State Commissioner for Education, Professor Abubakar Sani Sambo, commended the union for its commitment to advancing teacher education and assured the staff that government would carefully consider their requests.
Professor Sambo said the state government would take necessary steps towards improving the college’s overhead allocation and staff welfare while forwarding the union’s requests to Governor Uba Sani for consideration.
The commissioner acknowledged that his recent visit to the institution exposed serious infrastructural deficiencies, including the absence of a standard administrative block, inadequate lecture theatres and poor internal road networks, despite the college’s impressive academic performance and high demand for admission.
He added that the government was working towards constituting the institution’s Governing Council and organising its convocation ceremony, expressing optimism that both developments would provide additional opportunities to showcase the college’s achievements and attract greater government support for its continued growth.
