The Federal Ministry of Education headquarters in Abuja was on Tuesday thrown into turmoil as protesting workers shut down the ministry, booed senior officials and prevented the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, and the Acting Permanent Secretary, Dr. Folake Olatunji-David, from accessing their offices.
The protest, which entered its fourth day, was triggered by a recent circular announcing the concessioning of King’s College, Lagos, a development the workers described as unacceptable and a threat to the future of Nigeria’s public education system.
The protesters, under the Joint Council representing four major staff unions in the ministry, accused the Federal Government of using the King’s College concession as a possible starting point for concessioning other federal unity schools across the country.
They warned that such a policy, if allowed to continue, could increasingly place quality education beyond the reach of children from poor and working-class families.
Addressing journalists at the ministry’s entrance, Chairman of the Joint Council, Comrade Onukhe Abraham, questioned the rationale behind the concession of King’s College, particularly at a time the Federal Government had approved the employment of more than 3,000 Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) staff to address manpower shortages in federal unity schools.
“If Mr President has approved the employment of over 3,000 PTA staff, where will these new workers work if existing teachers are being displaced from King’s College?” he queried.
The workers were particularly angered by a circular reportedly signed by the Acting Permanent Secretary, directing teachers who could not remain at King’s College following the concessioning arrangement to seek postings to other schools in Lagos State.
The circular, they said, had heightened concerns over job security and the future management of federal unity schools.
The unions insisted that King’s College is a national asset that should remain under public management, arguing that its continued accessibility is vital to children whose parents cannot afford expensive private education.
“Once King’s College goes, others will follow. The children of the poor must be able to attend King’s College. It is one of the assets Nigeria has and it must not go that way,” Abraham said.
The workers vowed to escalate the industrial action if the Federal Government fails to reverse the concessioning decision.
“If there is no reversal of the concessioning, there will be no resumption in all the unity schools in the country and the headquarters will remain shut,” the Joint Council warned.
The protesters also rejected a meeting reportedly held on Monday between Education Minister, Dr. Tunji Alausa, and some leaders of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), describing the outcome as “null and void” because the recognised leadership of the Joint Workers Committee was not represented.
National President of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), Comrade Bola Audu, told the protesters that a fresh meeting between the recognised union leadership and the Minister had been rescheduled for Wednesday at 4pm at the Minister’s Conference Room.
Audu said the recognised Joint Workers Committee remained the legitimate body mandated to negotiate with the ministry on behalf of the aggrieved workers.
Another union leader, Mr. Andrew Adejoh, appealed to the protesters to remain calm and united, saying the proposed meeting with the Minister would provide an opportunity for the unions to properly articulate their grievances and present their demands.
Adejoh urged the ministry to ensure that the meeting was held promptly, noting that many union leaders had travelled from different parts of the country and needed to return home after the engagement.
The unions also accused the ministry of neglecting several longstanding staff grievances, including stagnation of Education Officers, delayed promotions and unresolved welfare issues.
They further raised concerns over alleged plans involving land swaps at Federal Government College, Kano, and the Suleja Academy School for the Gifted in Niger State, describing the developments as part of a growing threat to public education assets.
Meanwhile, Chairman of ASCSN at the ministry, Comrade Ngadi Sampson Chigozie, alleged that security agencies, including the Department of State Services (DSS), had been deployed around the protest.
He expressed concern over alleged threats to the lives of union leaders, insisting that the workers’ protest remained peaceful.
The crisis took a dramatic turn when the protesters separately booed the Minister of State for Education and the Acting Permanent Secretary as they attempted to enter the ministry, effectively preventing them from gaining access to their offices.
The workers, however, said they remained open to dialogue, provided the Federal Government was prepared to address the concessioning issue and other grievances.
They vowed to sustain the shutdown until concrete assurances were given on the future of King’s College and the broader policy direction concerning federal unity schools.
