Workers at the Federal Ministry of Education in Abuja have shut down the ministry and prevented senior officials from accessing their offices over the proposed concession of King’s College, Lagos.
The protest, which entered its fourth day on Tuesday, saw workers blocking the entrance to the ministry and booing the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, and the Acting Permanent Secretary, Dr. Folake Olatunji-David, as they attempted to enter the building.
The workers are protesting a recent government circular concerning the concession of King’s College, which they said could threaten the future of public education and lead to similar arrangements in other federal unity schools.
The protesters, operating under the Joint Council representing four major unions in the ministry, questioned the decision to concession the school, particularly following the Federal Government’s approval of the recruitment of more than 3,000 Parent-Teacher Association staff for federal unity schools.
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Chairman of the Joint Council, Comrade Onukhe Abraham, asked why additional workers would be employed while teachers at King’s College could be displaced as a result of the concession arrangement.
The unions also criticised a circular reportedly signed by the Acting Permanent Secretary directing teachers who could no longer remain at King’s College to seek postings to other schools in Lagos State.
The workers insisted that King’s College should remain under public management, describing it as a national asset that should remain accessible to children from families who cannot afford private education.
They warned that the industrial action could be extended to all federal unity schools if the government failed to reverse the concession.
The workers also rejected a meeting held between Education Minister, Dr. Tunji Alausa, and some leaders of the Trade Union Congress, saying the recognised leadership of their Joint Workers Committee was not represented.
National President of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, Comrade Bola Audu, informed the protesters that a fresh meeting involving the recognised union leadership and the minister had been scheduled for Wednesday at 4pm.
Another union leader, Andrew Adejoh, urged the workers to remain calm and united while awaiting the meeting, saying it would give them an opportunity to present their grievances directly to the minister.
The unions also raised other concerns, including delayed promotions, stagnation of Education Officers and unresolved welfare matters.
They further alleged concerns over proposed land swaps involving Federal Government College, Kano, and the Suleja Academy School for the Gifted in Niger State.
Meanwhile, Chairman of ASCSN at the ministry, Comrade Ngadi Sampson Chigozie, alleged that security agencies, including the Department of State Services, had been deployed around the protest.
He maintained that the workers’ demonstration was peaceful and expressed concern over alleged threats against some union leaders.
Despite the confrontation at the ministry’s entrance, the workers said they remained open to dialogue but insisted that the government must address the King’s College concession and their other grievances.
They vowed to continue the shutdown until concrete assurances are provided on the future of King’s College and the management of federal unity schools.
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