Minister of Education Tunji Alausa is holding an emergency meeting with the leadership of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) and other affiliated unions over the controversy surrounding the concession of King’s College, Lagos.
A statement by Ikharo Attah, Special Adviser on Media and Communications to Alausa, said the minister is meeting with the unions alongside the Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Said Ahmad, and the Acting Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Folake David.
The meeting comes after members of the workers’ unions disrupted academic resumption across all federal unity colleges on Monday.
In a communiqué dated September 10 and issued after its meeting on Thursday, ASCSN directed workers in federal unity colleges to suspend academic activities indefinitely over the proposed concession of King’s College to the King’s College Old Boys’ Association (KCOBA) under a public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement.
ASCSN described the proposed concession as an “assault and affront” on the unity of Nigeria, expressing concern that thousands of workers in the colleges could lose their jobs under the arrangement.
However, Alausa on Friday rejected claims that the college had been sold, maintaining that the institution remains publicly owned.
The minister explained that under the concession agreement, KCOBA would be responsible for financing, rehabilitating, modernising, operating and maintaining the 117-year-old institution.
Meanwhile, during the ongoing meeting, Alausa said that while the welfare of workers remains important, all parties must also take into account the national interest and the future of Nigerian children.
David, the Acting Permanent Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Education, assured the unions that the government was committed to ensuring a smooth transition while protecting the interests of affected workers.
She said the workers would remain civil servants and would have the option of either continuing to work at King’s College under the new administrative structure or transferring to other schools within Lagos State, depending on their preference.
According to Attah, “a committee is being put in place to facilitate the transition, ensure that stakeholders are carried along and preserve the heritage and objectives of the college”.
Responding, Nuhu Toro, TUC General Secretary, said the unions were seeking clarification on the proposed changes at King’s College, particularly regarding the use of the term “concessioning”.
He said the issue had generated concerns and resulted in the directive for workers in unity schools and King’s College to down tools, but acknowledged that interventions at the highest level had brought the parties together for negotiations.
Toro said the unions remained committed to resolving the dispute through dialogue, particularly in the interest of children from poor and less privileged families.
He added that the ministry and the unions shared the same objective of reaching a quick resolution.
Background
In August, parents and students of King’s College protested against the proposed concession, describing it as “barbaric”.
The aggrieved parents threatened to pursue legal action and prevent the school from resuming for the new academic session, which was scheduled for Sunday.
In July, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, President of KCOBA, announced that the Federal Government had conceded the school to the old boys’ association, describing the development as the beginning of a new era and what he called the “King’s College Renaissance”.
The old boys’ association reportedly established a N100 billion endowment fund aimed at repositioning the 116-year-old institution.
