Staff of Federal Unity Colleges nationwide defied the Federal Government’s directive to resume academic activities on Monday, insisting that their indefinite strike over the concession of King’s College, Lagos, remains in force.
Recall that the college staff, under the auspices of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, had ignored the initial September 13 resumption date, maintaining that their stance was, “No reversal, no resumption.”
During visits to some Unity Colleges in Lagos and Ibadan on Monday, staff union members were sighted in front of the school gates, while parents largely stayed away despite the Federal Government’s resumption directive.
The Federal Government had, in a September 18 memo to principals of the Unity Colleges, directed that academic activities resume following the agreement it said was reached with the labour unions over the dispute.
The directive followed the Federal Government’s agreement on September 16 to suspend for two weeks the implementation of the planned management takeover of King’s College by the institution’s Old Boys’ Association.
The agreement was reached at a meeting between the education ministers and representatives of education-sector labour unions in Abuja amid protests and industrial action over the concession of the 117-year-old college.
Under the five-point agreement, the unions were to immediately suspend the industrial action, while the government assured workers that no staff member would be victimised for participating in the protest.
The parties also agreed to a two-week pause in the implementation of the takeover arrangement involving the King’s College Old Boys’ Association, while a seven-member committee would be constituted to review and negotiate the Federal Government’s agreement with the old students.
Another resolution was the redeployment of policemen from the premises of King’s College.
However, the Shehu Mohammed-led faction of ASCSN maintained that the agreement was not binding on it, accusing the ministry of subsequently negotiating with persons it said lacked the mandate to represent the association.
The union insisted that the industrial action remained in force until the issues in dispute were fully resolved.
In a September 18 letter to state branch chairmen, chapter chairmen, unit chairmen of Federal Unity Colleges and state secretaries, the union accused the Ministry of Education of undermining the September 14 agreement reached with ASCSN and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria.
The letter directed members to halt academic and administrative activities, constitute monitoring teams to enforce compliance and disregard any counter-directives from school authorities or ministry officials.
At King’s College, Lagos, the Chairman of the ASCSN chapter, Sam Enang, told The PUNCH that the school had not resumed.
“We have not resumed. The pupils are at home. We have not called off the strike,” Enang said.
Asked about the ministry’s circular directing schools to resume, he said, “The union says an indefinite strike is on and we have started that since yesterday.”
Enang linked the continued strike to the King’s College concession, alleging that the Ministry of Education had breached the agreement reached with the unions.
“The Federal Ministry of Education defied the agreement of the union by sending police to come to the college and beat up staff and even took a staff member’s child away. That means they have breached their agreement.
“And also, negotiating with a different body, that is a breach of agreement,” he said.
He said staff had been directed to remain on indefinite strike until the situation at King’s College was reversed.
“So, we have been asked to remain on indefinite strike until they reverse the situation at the college. So, nothing is working out here,” he said.
Credit: Punchng
