Unions halt resumption in Federal Unity Colleges nationwide
Students at Federal Unity Colleges across Nigeria will not return for the first term until further notice, following a directive from the Joint Congress of Unions of the Federal Ministry of Education.
This decision was communicated in a statement released on Thursday by the unions, which stated that the action stems from a protest against the planned concession of King’s College in Lagos.
The directive impacts all Federal Unity Colleges in the country, including Federal Government Colleges, Federal Government Boys’ Colleges, Federal Government Girls’ Colleges, and Federal Technical Colleges.
The unions maintain a firm stance against the proposed concession, asserting that students should remain out of school until the issue is addressed. The communiqué emphasized, “No resumption shall take place in any Federal Unity College across the Federation until this matter is satisfactorily resolved and the planned sale/concession of King’s College, Lagos, is reversed.”
In addition to expressing their opposition to the concession, the unions criticized the Minister of Education for failing to engage in discussions regarding their concerns. They noted that requests for meetings over the past month have gone unanswered, prompting this course of action.
The communiqué also called on parents, guardians, School-Based Management Committees, Parent-Teacher Associations, and community leaders to lend their support against the concession. Furthermore, the unions urged prominent organizations, including the Academic Staff Union of Universities, the Nigeria Labour Congress, the Trade Union Congress, and the Nigerian Union of Journalists, to join the campaign opposing the concession of Federal Unity Colleges.
