Staff of Federal Unity Colleges across Nigeria have maintained their indefinite strike despite the Federal Government’s directive for schools to resume academic activities on Monday.
The Punch reported that the workers, under the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, are protesting the planned concession of King’s College, Lagos, to its Old Boys’ Association.
The staff had earlier rejected the September 13 resumption date, insisting that there would be “No reversal, no resumption.”
During visits to some Federal Unity Colleges in Lagos and Ibadan on Monday, union members were seen around the school gates, while many parents kept their children at home despite the government’s directive.
The Federal Government, in a September 18 memo to principals of the colleges, had ordered the resumption of academic activities following an agreement it said was reached with education-sector labour unions.
The directive came after the government agreed on September 16 to suspend for two weeks the planned takeover of King’s College’s management by its Old Boys’ Association.
The agreement followed a meeting between the education ministers and representatives of education-sector labour unions in Abuja amid protests and industrial action over the proposed concession of the 117-year-old institution.
Under the agreement, the unions were expected to suspend the strike immediately, while the government promised that no worker would be victimised for taking part in the protest.
The government and unions also agreed to suspend the takeover arrangement for two weeks, during which a seven-member committee would be established to review and negotiate the agreement with the old students.
Another resolution was the withdrawal of policemen deployed to 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 because the ministry allegedly negotiated with individuals who did not have the mandate to represent it.
The faction maintained that the strike would continue until the issues surrounding the dispute were resolved.
In a September 18 letter addressed to branch, chapter and unit chairmen of Federal Unity Colleges, as well as state secretaries, the union accused the Ministry of Education of undermining the September 14 agreement reached with ASCSN and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria.
The union consequently directed its members to stop academic and administrative activities and establish monitoring teams to ensure compliance, while disregarding contrary instructions from school authorities or ministry officials.
At King’s College, Lagos, the ASCSN chapter chairman, Sam Enang, confirmed that the school remained closed.
“We have not resumed. The pupils are at home. We have not called off the strike,” Enang said.
Reacting to the ministry’s directive for schools to reopen, he said, “The union says an indefinite strike is on and we have started that since yesterday.”
Enang said the continued industrial action was linked to the King’s College concession, alleging that the Ministry of Education had violated the agreement reached with the unions.
“The Federal Ministry of Education defied the agreement of the union by sending police to come to the college and beat up staff and even took a staff member’s child away. That means they have breached their agreement.
“And also, negotiating with a different body, that is a breach of agreement,” he said.
He said workers had been instructed to remain on strike until the government reversed the situation at King’s College.
“So, we have been asked to remain on indefinite strike until they reverse the situation at the college. So, nothing is working out here,” he said.
Enang further claimed that the industrial action covered all 115 Federal Unity Colleges across the country.
“All Unity Colleges, they are on indefinite strike as I’m talking to you, because of King’s College. And this notice has gone across all six geopolitical zones, and the 115 Unity Colleges we have across the country. No school has resumed,” he said.
He also said parents had been informed about the strike and that no students reported at King’s College.
“The students did not show up at all. They did not show up at all,” Enang said.
“We have a platform to communicate to parents that they should not come. And the union too has also communicated to parents that nobody should show up,” he said.
The union chairman also alleged that the deployment of policemen to King’s College and a confrontation involving security personnel and protesting workers contributed to the decision to prolong the strike.
According to Enang, the policemen, who were deployed after the confrontation between staff and members of the Old Boys’ Association, had since left the school premises.
He alleged that the policemen spent two to three days at the school and that the gates were damaged during the confrontation.
At the Federal Government College, Ijanikin, Lagos, the ASCSN chairman, Ayo Hundeyin, also confirmed that workers had not resumed.
“We have not resumed. The pupils are at home. We have not called off the strike,” he said.
Hundeyin also expressed concern over alleged plans to transfer the management of other Unity Colleges to private interests.
“We are aware that there are similar plans to hand over Unity Colleges in Kano, Port Harcourt, and Ilorin. The education of our children is our priority, and we won’t support any privatisation of our schools,” he said.
The dispute followed opposition by workers to the Federal Government’s decision to concession the management of King’s College to its Old Boys’ Association under a public-private partnership arrangement.
However, the Federal Government has insisted that the college has neither been sold nor privatised, stressing that its legal ownership remains with the government.
The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, also said the arrangement was specific to King’s College and would not be extended to other Federal Unity Colleges.
“No. We’re not extending it. The government still has its responsibility,” Alausa said.
He added that the government remained committed to funding the rehabilitation of other Unity Colleges while considering alternative funding options to address their infrastructure challenges.
