KING’S COLLEGE: UNITY COLLEGES STAFF DEFY FG RESUMPTION ORDER

Staff of Federal Unity Colleges across Nigeria have defied the Federal Government’s directive to resume academic activities, insisting that their indefinite strike over the concession of King’s College, Lagos, remains in force.

The workers, under the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, had earlier rejected the September 13 resumption date, maintaining that there would be “no reversal, no resumption.”

Visits to some Unity Colleges in Lagos and Ibadan on Monday showed union members gathered around school entrances, while many parents kept their children at home despite the government’s resumption directive.

The Federal Government had, in a September 18 memo to principals of the Unity Colleges, ordered schools to resume following an agreement it said had been reached with education-sector labour unions.

The directive followed a September 16 agreement to suspend for two weeks the planned takeover of King’s College by its Old Boys’ Association.

The agreement was reached after meetings between the education ministers and representatives of education-sector unions in Abuja amid protests and industrial action over the proposed management arrangement for the 117-year-old college.

Under the agreement, the unions were expected to immediately suspend the strike, while the government promised that no worker would be victimised for participating in the protests.

The parties also agreed to pause the takeover arrangement for two weeks and establish a seven-member committee to review and negotiate the government’s agreement with the Old Boys’ Association.

Another part of the agreement was the redeployment of policemen from the premises of King’s College.

However, the Shehu Mohammed-led faction of ASCSN rejected the agreement, saying it was not binding on the union. The faction also accused the Ministry of Education of negotiating with individuals it said were not authorised to represent the association.

The union subsequently maintained that its indefinite strike would continue until the issues surrounding King’s College were resolved.

In a September 18 letter to its branch, chapter and unit leaders in Federal Unity Colleges, the union directed members to stop academic and administrative activities and establish monitoring teams to ensure compliance.

The union also instructed members to disregard any contrary directives issued by school authorities or officials of the Ministry of Education.

At King’s College, Lagos, the ASCSN chapter chairman, Sam Enang, confirmed that the school had not resumed.

Enang said the strike remained in place despite the ministry’s circular ordering schools to reopen, adding that staff had been instructed to remain on strike until the situation at King’s College was reversed.

He alleged that the Ministry of Education had breached its agreement with the unions by deploying police officers to the college during the dispute and by negotiating with another group.

Enang said the strike affected all 115 Federal Unity Colleges across the six geopolitical zones.

He also said parents had been informed through union communication platforms not to bring their children to school.

According to him, no students reported at King’s College despite the government’s resumption directive.

Enang further alleged that the confrontation between security personnel and protesting workers, as well as the earlier presence of police officers at the college, contributed to the union’s decision to continue the industrial action.

He said the policemen had since left the premises after spending about two to three days at the school, adding that the gates were damaged during the confrontation.

The ASCSN chairman at Federal Government College, Ijanikin, Lagos, Ayo Hundeyin, also confirmed that the school had not resumed.

Hundeyin expressed concern over what he described as possible plans to hand over other Unity Colleges to private interests, mentioning schools in Kano, Port Harcourt and Ilorin.

He said workers were opposed to any move that could lead to the privatisation of the schools, adding that the education of Nigerian children remained their priority.

The dispute began after workers opposed the Federal Government’s decision to concession the management of King’s College to its Old Boys’ Association under a public-private partnership arrangement.

The Federal Government has maintained that the college has not been sold or privatised and that legal ownership remains with the government.

The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, also said the arrangement involving King’s College was an isolated case and would not be extended to other Federal Unity Colleges.

Alausa said the government remained responsible for the other Unity Colleges and would continue to fund their rehabilitation while exploring alternative ways of addressing infrastructure challenges.