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Parents and staff unions of Federal Government Colleges have threatened to shut down other schools in protest against the concessioning of King’s College, Lagos, to the King’s College Old Boys’ Association (KCOBA).
Already, the staff union of the nation’s premier school on Monday shut down the college after a meeting called to discuss the concession of the school to KCOBA.
Chairman, Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) of King’s College, Engr. Peter O. Oluwaleye, said after the meeting, the staff union immediately activated its response mechanism and shut down the college.
“Staff union nationwide has been notified of the development as we gathered. Neighboring schools will start shutting down from now on in solidarity to KC and this shutdown might spread nationwide if positive feedback is not received timely from the Federal Ministry Education.”
Oluwaleye further added: “We should have been made to be in the picture of all these before now. This letter being the 1st and only communication to parents of the college from any quarters can only be explained as a neglect.
“Our children got admitted into King’s College as a unity school. They should have been allowed to graduate under the same terms. The Federal Ministry of Education needs to let parents know of the condition of this concession we are obliged to accept without negotiations. Even if the concession is to happen, six months transition process does not look tidy.”
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Leaders of staff unions in the South-West zone, in a statement, said they were opposed to any arrangement that is capable of making Unity Colleges unaffordable or inaccessible to ordinary Nigerian children.
The union called on the Federal Ministry of Education to immediately suspend and place the proposed concession arrangement on hold, noting that no major decision affecting the ownership, management, accessibility or affordability of Federal Unity Colleges should be implemented without meaningful consultation with parents and other critical stakeholders.
“We demand transparency and full disclosure regarding the terms, conditions and long-term implications of the proposed concession arrangement. The Federal Government must assure Nigerian parents that Unity Colleges will continue to serve all Nigerians and will not become exclusive institutions for the privileged few.
“Leaders of the union called on the two ministers to listen to the voices of Nigerian parents and immediately reconsider this decision. The Unity Colleges were built with the resources of the Nigerian people.”
The union demanded the immediate suspension of the proposed concession process until comprehensive consultations are held and an acceptable understanding is reached with parents and other relevant stakeholders.
