King’s College Concession: Union enforces no-resumption at FGGC Umuahia

King’s College Concession: Union enforces no-resumption at FGGC Umuahia

The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has blocked students’ resumption at the Federal Government Girls’ College (FGGC), Umuahia, over the Federal Government’s alleged concession of King’s College, Lagos.

A visit by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) to the school on Monday showed that there were no students at the premises, although members of staff and leaders of the union were present.

Placards pasted at the school gate carried inscriptions including, “Aluta Continua,” “No To Sale of Unity Colleges,” “No Reversal, No Resumption,” and “No Resumption of Unity Schools For Now Till Further Notice.”

A circular signed by zonal coordinators of the ASCSN in the Federal Unity Colleges was also displayed at the gate, directing members to enforce the union’s position on the suspension of resumption.

In an interview with NAN, The Vice- Principal (Academics I) of the college, Dr Daniel Salifu, said the school management had prepared for students’ return in line with the Federal Ministry of Education’s directive.

Salifu said that management had commenced preparations from Sept. 7 and communicated to students through the school’s platforms that they were expected to resume.

“We followed the government’s directive that our school should reopen based on the directive from our employer, the Federal Ministry of Education: we instructed both staff and students to return,” he said.

He, however, said that the union subsequently enforced the directive of its national leadership to prevent resumption in Federal Unity Colleges.

“The union locked the gate because their national headquarters directed them to enforce the non-reopening of schools in all the schools,” he said.

Salifu said that returning students who came to the school on Sunday in response to the management’s notice for the resumption of learning activities on Monday were prevented from entering the premises by union members.

He said that the staff had remained at the school carrying out their duties while awaiting further directives from the Federal Government(FG).

The vice-principal expressed concern that prolonged disruption could affect preparations for external examinations, including registration for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO).

He appealed to the Federal Government to reconsider the concession arrangement and engage the unions to resolve the dispute.

“I am using this opportunity to appeal to the Federal Government, to maybe go back to the drawing board and renegotiate,” he said.
Also, the Unit Chairman of ASCSN at the college, Mr  Martins Nwaokedi, said that the union was acting on the directive of its parent body to prevent resumption until the issue was resolved.

Nwaokedi said the union was opposed to the concession of King’s College to the Kings College Old Boys’ Association (KCOBA).

He expressed the fear that the development could pave the way for similar arrangements involving other Federal Unity Colleges.

He also argued that transferring the management of unity schools to private investors could affect the employment of existing teaching and non-teaching staff and potentially increase school fees.

“We cannot afford to sit down and look at them concession these unity schools because by the time they succeed with the concession of King’s College, Lagos, which is the leading unity school in the country, I wonder what will happen to others,” he said.

Nwaokedi said that the union would maintain the action indefinitely until the Federal Government took what he considered positive steps toward reversing the concession.

He also expressed concern that private management of the schools could make quality education inaccessible to children from poorer families.

“This development could possibly make access to quality education not to be within the reach of the poor masses; that means the children of the poor will not have access to quality education,” he said.

Two parents who spoke with NAN also expressed concern over the development and urged the FG to expedite action in addressing the issue.

A civil servant, Mrs Peace Agbo, said she was preparing to take her daughter back to school when another parent who had encountered the situation at the school gate alerted her through a video shared with parents.

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Agbo said that the development left parents uncertain about the next step, particularly as they had made arrangements for their children to resume and begin the new academic session as scheduled.

She urged the FG and the unions to resolve the dispute quickly to avoid disrupting the academic calendar and affecting students’ preparations for the forthcoming examinations.

Another parent and mother of two students of the college, Mrs Ogechi Christopher, said her children are still at home after she was informed that students were not allowed into the school premises.

Christopher described the situation as unfortunate, saying she had made preparations for her children to return to school for the new academic session.

“It is sad: we do not want unity schools to be conceded under any form of Public-Private Partnership arrangement,” she said.

The development followed a Sept. 10 communiqué by the Joint Congress of Unions of the Federal Ministry of Education directing that first-term resumption in Federal Unity Colleges nationwide be suspended until further notice over the King’s College concession.

The Federal Ministry of Education had, however, reaffirmed that Monday  remained the approved resumption date for Federal Unity Colleges nationwide, assuring parents and students of a safe and seamless reopening.

At the centre of the dispute is the Federal Government’s alleged decision to concession King’s College, Lagos to KCOBA.

The Federal Government has clarified that the institution has not been sold or privatised.

It said that it remains publicly owned while the concession is being implemented as a Public-Private Partnership arrangement.

The union, however, has rejected the arrangement, maintaining that they oppose the concession or privatisation of King’s College or any other Federal Unity College.

The disagreement has consequently left FGGC Umuahia without students at the start of the new academic session, with staff awaiting further development on the dispute.