Workers escalate protest over King’s College concession, demand action on welfare and administrative grievances
ABUJA — Workers of the Federal Ministry of Education on Wednesday blocked the entrance to the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja, preventing the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, and the Acting Permanent Secretary, Dr Folake Olatunji-David, from entering their offices.
The workers gathered at the entrance of the ministry as a motorcade reportedly conveying the minister arrived at the premises. Videos from the scene showed the protesters chanting “Alausa must go” while preventing access to the building.
The latest action is part of the growing dispute between workers’ unions in the ministry and the Federal Government over the proposed concession of King’s College, Lagos, as well as broader concerns about staff welfare and the administration of the ministry.
The workers’ opposition to the King’s College arrangement has been building for several days. The Joint Workers Committee of Unions had earlier shut down the ministry’s headquarters and directed workers in Federal Unity Colleges not to resume academic activities over the controversy.
The unions have particularly opposed the reported 35-year concession of King’s College to the institution’s Old Boys Association, arguing that the arrangement could affect workers and create a precedent for similar changes involving other Federal Government-owned schools.
The workers have also demanded the removal of Alausa, while raising concerns over staff welfare, outstanding payments for some official assignments and what they described as the outsourcing of ministry responsibilities to consultants.
The dispute has also affected the resumption of academic activities in Federal Unity Colleges. The Trade Union Congress had, following an emergency meeting with Alausa, directed its affiliate unions to suspend the industrial action.
Alausa subsequently directed Federal Unity Colleges to resume academic activities and announced the establishment of a seven-member committee to consider additional recommendations for incorporation into the agreement involving King’s College. The committee includes representatives of the Federal Ministry of Education, Ministry of Labour and Employment, TUC and the King’s College Old Boys Association.
During the meeting with organised labour, Alausa assured workers that their jobs would be protected under the proposed arrangement. The minister said the government remained committed to addressing the concerns raised by the unions through dialogue.
The ministry has maintained that the King’s College arrangement is not an outright sale of the institution. According to statements attributed to Alausa, the school would remain publicly owned while the King’s College Old Boys Association would undertake financing, rehabilitation, modernisation, operation and maintenance under the proposed arrangement.
The government has also said that measures contained in the agreement are intended to protect workers and maintain government oversight of the institution.
However, the workers’ latest action indicates that the earlier engagement has not completely resolved the disagreement between the unions and the ministry’s management.
The immediate confrontation at the ministry’s headquarters places fresh pressure on both sides to find a lasting resolution, particularly as the dispute involves the management of a historic federal institution and the wider operation of Federal Unity Colleges.
IBN News reports that the workers’ protest remains centred on the King’s College concession, staff welfare and other administrative concerns, while the Federal Government has maintained that the proposed arrangement is intended to improve the institution without compromising its public ownership or the rights of its workers.
