Staff of Federal Government Unity Colleges across Nigeria have refused to resume academic activities despite a directive from the Federal Government ordering them back to work.
The workers are maintaining their indefinite strike over the Federal Government’s proposed concession of King’s College, Lagos, to its Old Boys’ Association.
The development means academic activities at the affected unity colleges remain disrupted, despite the government’s instruction that staff should return and schools should resume normal operations.
The dispute centres on the proposed 35-year concession arrangement for King’s College. The Federal Government and the school’s Old Boys’ Association have maintained that the arrangement is intended to improve the institution’s infrastructure and management while ownership of the school remains with the government.
However, the workers have continued to oppose the concession, with concerns surrounding its possible implications for staff and the future management of the school.
The Federal Ministry of Education has said that teachers and non-teaching staff at King’s College would remain Federal Government employees under the proposed arrangement. According to explanations surrounding the concession, workers whose roles are affected would be redeployed within the federal system rather than dismissed.
Despite these assurances, the unions have maintained their opposition and continued with the strike.
The disagreement has also generated protests and resistance from sections of the school community, including workers and parents, as discussions over the proposed concession continue.
The Federal Government’s latest directive has therefore failed to immediately end the industrial action, leaving the resumption of activities at Federal Unity Colleges uncertain.
Further discussions between the government and the affected unions may be required to resolve the dispute and allow academic activities to return to normal.
