Staff at Federal Unity Colleges across Nigeria defied the Federal Government’s directive to resume academic activities on Monday, insisting that their indefinite strike over the concession of King’s College, Lagos, would continue.
The college staff, under the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), had previously ignored the initial September 13 resumption date, maintaining their position of “No reversal, no resumption.”
On Monday, union members were seen at the gates of several Unity Colleges in Lagos and Ibadan, while most parents kept their children at home, despite the government’s order to reopen schools.
The Federal Government, in a memo dated September 18 to Unity College principals, had directed the resumption of academic activities after what it described as a successful agreement with labour unions. This directive followed a September 16 decision to suspend, for two weeks, the planned management takeover of King’s College by the school’s Old Boys’ Association. The suspension was part of a five-point agreement reached during a meeting between education ministers and union representatives in Abuja, which sought to address the protests and industrial action sparked by the concession plan.
Under the agreement, unions were to suspend the strike immediately, and the government pledged that no staff member would face reprisals for participating in the protest. Both parties also agreed to a two-week pause on implementing the takeover, the formation of a seven-member committee to review the government’s agreement with the Old Boys’ Association, and the redeployment of police from King’s College premises.
However, the Shehu Mohammed-led faction of ASCSN rejected the agreement, arguing that the Ministry of Education had negotiated with individuals lacking the mandate to represent the union. This faction insisted that the strike would continue until all contentious issues were fully resolved.
In a letter dated September 18 to branch and chapter leaders of Federal Unity Colleges, the union accused the Ministry of Education of undermining an earlier agreement and instructed members to stop academic and administrative activities, form monitoring teams to ensure compliance, and ignore any contrary orders from school authorities or ministry officials.
At King’s College, Lagos, ASCSN chapter chairman Sam Enang confirmed to The PUNCH that the strike was ongoing, with students remaining at home. He attributed the continued action to the Ministry of Education’s alleged breaches of the agreement, including the deployment of police officers to the college and negotiations with groups not recognised by the union.
Enang said, “We have not resumed. The pupils are at home. We have not called off the strike. The Federal Ministry of Education defied the agreement by sending police to the college, who beat up staff and took away a staff member’s child. That is a breach of agreement. Negotiating with another group is also a breach.
Staff have been instructed to continue their indefinite strike until the situation at King’s College is reversed. “We have been directed to stay on strike indefinitely until the issues at the college are addressed. At the moment, nothing is moving forward here,” he said.
According to Enang, the strike extends beyond King’s College, affecting all 115 Federal Unity Colleges nationwide. “Every Unity College is on indefinite strike as of now because of the situation at King’s College. This directive has been communicated across all six geopolitical zones and to every one of the 115 Unity Colleges in the country. Not a single school has reopened,” he stated.
He also noted that no students reported to King’s College on Sunday, despite the government’s order to resume. “The students did not turn up at all,” Enang said, attributing this to effective communication between the union and parents. “We have a platform to inform parents not to send their children, and the union has also advised parents to keep students at home,” he explained.
Enang further claimed that the deployment of police officers to King’s College and confrontations between security personnel and protesting workers reinforced the decision to maintain the strike. He said police had spent two to three days at the school following clashes between staff and members of the Old Boys’ Association, during which the gates were damaged. The officers have since left the premises.
Echoing these concerns, Ayo Hundeyin, Chairman of ASCSN at Federal Government College, Ijanikin, Lagos, confirmed that the strike continues. “We have not resumed. The pupils remain at home. The strike has not been called off,” he said.
Hundeyin also voiced fears about alleged plans to hand over other Unity Colleges to private interests. “We are aware of similar plans for Unity Colleges in Kano, Port Harcourt, and Ilorin. Our priority is our children’s education, and we will not support any move to privatise our schools,” he stated.
The dispute arises from worker opposition to the Federal Government’s decision to concession the management of King’s College to its Old Boys’ Association under a public-private partnership. The government, however, insists that King’s College has neither been sold nor privatised, and that legal ownership remains with the state.
Education Minister Tunji Alausa emphasized that the arrangement is unique to King’s College and will not be extended to other Unity Colleges.
No, we’re not extending it. The government retains its responsibilities,” Alausa said. He added that the government is committed to funding the rehabilitation of other Unity Colleges directly, while seeking alternative funding solutions to address infrastructure challenges.
