King’s College Concession: Venue row stalls Alausa, workers’ meeting

…As Unity Colleges, Education Ministry remain shut

A disagreement over the venue of a meeting between the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, and workers on Monday stalled efforts to resolve the crisis over the planned concession of King’s College, Lagos, as the Federal Ministry of Education and Federal Government Unity Colleges remained shut countrywide.

It was gathered that the meeting, scheduled for Monday, was cancelled after Alausa reportedly insisted that it should hold at the headquarters of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), while the Joint Workers Committee of Unions (JWC) demanded that the minister meet them at their workplace, the Federal Ministry of Education headquarters in Abuja.

“The Minister wanted the meeting to be held at TETFund on the grounds that he would not be safe if it were held at the Ministry. However, we insisted that the Ministry of Education should be the venue because this is our workplace. We have agreed to allow him to come to the Ministry for a meeting with us at 1 p.m. tomorrow (today). But the Ministry and all Unity Colleges remain shut,” a top official of the Joint Workers Committee of Union (JWC), who spoke on condition of anonymity, told our correspondent.

The development came as the workers on yesterday barricaded the entrance to the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja, preventing officials and other workers from accessing the premises.

The proposed concession, which is expected to run for 35 years, has triggered strong opposition from the unions, who are demanding its immediate suspension and proper consultation with workers and other stakeholders before any decision is taken.

The workers warned that handing over the management of the federal institution to the King’s College Old Boys Association could undermine its public character and open the door for similar arrangements involving other Federal Government-owned schools.

The dispute also deepened the already strained relationship between the ministry and the unions, with the workers accusing the minister of failing to adequately engage them on critical issues affecting staff and the administration of Federal Government schools.

Meanwhile, there was no academic activity in any of the Federal Government Unity Colleges across the country on Monday, as the schools remained shut in compliance with the workers’ directive.

Teachers and other workers in several Unity Colleges barricaded their school entrances, effectively frustrating the commencement of the first term.

The shutdown came despite the Federal Government’s earlier directive for the schools to resume, with the unions insisting that there would be no resumption until their grievances, particularly the proposed concession of King’s College, are addressed.

The Guardian had reported that the resumption of Federal Unity Colleges was under threat as workers vowed to defy the government and halt academic activities over the concession plan. (Guardian)