Coeasu Condemns Closure of Fce Obudu

Colleges of Education Academic
Staff Union (COEASU)

Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) have condemned the closure of Federal College of Education (FCE), Obudu, for non-payment of taxes by the Cross River State tax authorities.

A press statement jointly signed by COEASU President Emmanuel Asagha and General Secretary Nuhu Ogrima said the closure came to the union as a "rude shock... utterly misplaced and grossly insensitive of the possible implications." In the press statement entitled "imminent rampage over sealing of Federal Eollege of education, Obudu: the need for urgent intervention," the union said the closure of the institution by the Cross River State Board of Internal Revenue Service (CRS-BIRS) leaves students and staff of the institution at the mercy of criminals.

"The purported N543, 891,871.26 between 2004 -2009 in contention is far less significant compared to the value of the system.

"COEASU wishes to state categorically that their members are law abiding citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and do pay their taxes (PAYE) as stipulated by the law and as and when due.

"If the college authority has not remitted taxes paid by staff, it is a matter between the college authority and the state tax administrators. Besides, there are procedures outlined for these purposes and the position of unions is that this development is disrupting the smooth running of academic activities in the college which has far-reaching consequences on our dear students, and this is unacceptable to the union.

The statement said that the sealing up of the campus and the consequent dismissal of the security staff on duty has left the campus very vulnerable to invasion by hoodlums and miscreants, adding that the properties of their members in their offices, those of students and the federal government are at stake.

"Any theft of these properties will leave the unions with no option than to seek redress in a court of competent jurisdiction. Unions, therefore, call on the Minister of Education, the Executive Secretary of NCCE to step in urgently and resolve this impasse before it degenerates into a further breakdown of law and order," it warned.

Reacting to latest developments over the phone yesterday on the issue, the National President of COEASU, Comrade Asagha commended the leadership and members of the Cross River State House of Assembly for their "understanding and conscientious intervention in the matter" and called on the authorities concerned to take advantage of the direction provided to "vacate the court order empowering CRS-BIRS to seal FCE Obudu to evade a total avoidable breakdown of law and order that will ultimately be regretted."