Children In Unity Colleges Refuse To Resume Over King’s College Concession As Minister Assures Workers Of Job Security
The 155 unity colleges run by the Federal Government did not resume for academic activities on Monday as parents and guardians refused to let their children and wards go back after the long holiday due to resistance to the elders’ concession of Kings College, Lagos, to “Old Boys.”
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, meanwhile, assured organised labour that the Federal Government would address concerns over proposed changes to the administration of King’s College, Lagos, through dialogue.
King’s College, Lagos, established in 1909, is one of Nigeria’s oldest government-owned secondary schools and part of the federal unity school system and has historically been administered by the Federal Government.
Chairman of the Parent Teacher Association of Unity Colleges in the South-West, Mr Ayopo Somefun, said the schools would remain shut until the FG rescinds the decision to concession Kings College.
According to him, if the concession of Kings College stood, the exercise would be extended to the other unity colleges, and that would negate the reasons for setting up the schools.
However, Alausa gave assurance of job safety on Monday during a meeting with the Trade Union Congress, the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria and other affiliated unions.
The meeting was also attended by the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Ahmad, and the Acting Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr. Folake Olatunji-Davies.
The engagement followed concerns among workers and labour unions over the proposed administrative arrangement for the school, particularly the use of the term “concessioning.”
The unions said the term had created uncertainty over the future of King’s College and the employment status of its workers.
Alausa said the meeting was part of the Federal Government’s broader education reforms under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
He stressed that workers’ welfare must be balanced with the national interest and the future of Nigerian children.
“While workers’ welfare remains important, all stakeholders must also consider the national interest and the future of the nation’s children,” the minister said.
Alausa commended the unions for their commitment to workers’ rights and their willingness to resolve the disagreement through dialogue. He also assured them that the government would implement its reforms responsibly.
He said the government would consider the interests of learners, teachers and non-academic staff while ensuring the effective management of public resources.
The Acting Permanent Secretary assured the unions that the government was committed to a smooth transition and would protect the interests of affected workers.
She clarified that the workers would remain civil servants and would have the option of either staying at King’s College under the new administrative arrangement or transferring to other schools within Lagos State, depending on their preference.
Olatunji-Davies said a committee would be constituted to facilitate the transition, ensure that relevant stakeholders were consulted and preserve the heritage and objectives of the institution.
The TUC General Secretary, Nuhu Toro, said the unions were primarily seeking clarification on the proposed changes, especially the meaning and implications of “concessioning.”
Toro said the controversy had led to an instruction for workers in unity schools and King’s College to down tools.
He, however, noted that interventions at the highest level had brought the parties to the negotiating table.
He said the unions were committed to resolving the matter through dialogue, particularly because any disruption could affect children from poor and less-privileged families.
“We are on the same page on the future of our children,” Toro said, stressing the need for the parties to reach an agreement quickly.
In August, parents and students of the college staged a protest against the concession, describing it as “barbaric”.
The aggrieved parents threatened to take legal action and prevent the resumption of the next academic session, scheduled for Sunday.
In July, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, president of KCOBA, announced that the Federal Government had conceded the school to the association, describing it as the dawn of a new era and the commencement of what he called the “King’s College Renaissance”.
The old boys’ association reportedly launched a N100 billion endowment fund to reposition the 116-year-old institution.
