The Federal Unity Colleges are set to reopen following the suspension of the strike by the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) over the concession of King’s College, Lagos.
The suspension affects the 115 Federal Unity Colleges across the country and followed a meeting between the Trade Union Congress (TUC), the ASCSN national leadership and zonal coordinators of the Unity Schools in Kano on Tuesday.
In a communiqué issued on Wednesday, the union said it agreed to suspend the industrial action to allow a seven-member committee to review the concession document for King’s College.
The decision was reached after the union leaders considered the agreement between organised labour and the Federal Ministry of Education, as well as the terms of the concession.
The concession has also been placed on hold pending the submission of the committee’s report. Two members of the committee are representatives of ASCSN.
“Considering the above, the Zonal Coordinators of the Unity Schools agreed with the National Leadership of the ASCSN that the strike be suspended immediately while awaiting the report of the committee,” the communiqué said.
The workers had embarked on the strike after the government directed the handover of King’s College to the King’s College Old Boys Association (KCOBA).
The action prevented the resumption of the Federal Unity Colleges, which had been scheduled for September 13.
ASCSN had argued that the concession threatened the future of the Federal Unity College system and called on the government to reverse the arrangement.
The Parent Teacher Association has welcomed the suspension and proposed Sunday, September 27, as the date for students to resume.
The PTA, however, said the proposed date would depend on confirmation by the Federal Ministry of Education.
In a statement signed by Farmer Ayopo Somefun, South-West Zonal Coordinator of the PTA Chairmen Association of Federal Unity Colleges, the parents urged the ministry to make its position known promptly so that parents could prepare for the reopening.
The association said the suspension should create room for discussions between the Federal Government, labour, school authorities and other stakeholders.
It also called for the release or restoration of PTA staff affected by government action and urged all parties to allow the seven-member committee to complete its assignment.
The controversy followed a September 4 directive by the Federal Ministry of Education for the immediate handover of King’s College to KCOBA after the completion of the concession agreement.
The ministry said a transition committee would manage the handover process for six months, after which Federal Government funding for the school would end.
Education Minister Tunji Alausa, however, said the agreement did not amount to the sale or privatisation of King’s College.
According to the minister, the Federal Government would retain legal ownership of the 117-year-old institution, while KCOBA would be responsible for financing, rehabilitation, modernisation, operation and maintenance.
The concession subsequently led to protests by workers and the closure of the Federal Unity Colleges.
The disagreement also resulted in a confrontation when KCOBA members, accompanied by police officers, entered the King’s College premises despite resistance from protesting workers.
On September 16, the Federal Government and organised labour agreed to suspend implementation of the concession for two weeks and established the seven-member committee to review the agreement and address concerns raised by the unions.
However, a faction of the ASCSN led by its National President, Shehu Mohammed, rejected the suspension at the time and insisted that the strike remained in force.
The latest resolution by the ASCSN leadership and the Unity Schools’ zonal coordinators has now put the industrial action on hold pending the committee’s findings.
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