By Adeola Kunle
Industrial action suspended as Education Ministers, unions agree to two-week pause on implementation
Seven-man committee to review FG-Old Students’ agreement as police redeployment ordered
The Federal Government and labour unions in the Federal Ministry of Education have reached a five-point agreement to de-escalate the dispute over the proposed arrangement involving King’s College, Lagos.
The agreement was reached at a high-level meeting involving the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, CON, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, directors and senior officials of the Ministry, and representatives of the labour unions.
The meeting ended with both sides agreeing on immediate steps to calm tensions and create room for further negotiations on the issues surrounding King’s College.
The first major resolution was the immediate suspension of the industrial action embarked upon by the unions.
Government also assured workers that no member of staff would be victimised for participating in the industrial action.
In another key decision, the parties agreed to a two-week pause in the take-off of the implementation of the proposed takeover arrangement involving King’s College by its Old Students’ Association.
The pause is expected to allow government and labour further examine the agreement and address concerns raised by workers and other stakeholders.
The meeting also resolved that policemen deployed to the premises of King’s College would be redeployed, removing one of the immediate flashpoints in the dispute.
The parties further agreed to establish a seven-man negotiation committee comprising representatives of government and labour.
The committee will review and x-ray the Federal Government’s agreement with the King’s College Old Students’ Association and engage relevant stakeholders on issues arising from the proposed arrangement.
Labour: Dialogue Remains Key
Speaking on behalf of the union side, the National Association of Senior Civil Servants representative, Comrade Bola Audu, welcomed the outcome of the meeting and the opportunity for labour to engage directly with the education authorities.
Audu said the unions were concerned about issues surrounding King’s College and the wider question of the proposed concessioning of Federal Unity Colleges.
He stressed the importance of protecting the public character of the institutions and ensuring that their role in providing accessible education and promoting national integration is not undermined.
The union representative also acknowledged the assurances given by the government, particularly the decision to suspend the implementation process for two weeks and set up a committee to examine the King’s College agreement.
For the government, Dr. Alausa reaffirmed the Ministry’s willingness to continue discussions with labour and other stakeholders, stressing that the concerns raised would be considered within the agreed framework.
Prof. Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad similarly emphasised the importance of sustained engagement between the Ministry and organised labour, noting that constructive dialogue remains central to resolving disagreements in the education sector.
The five-point agreement has now shifted the immediate focus from industrial action to negotiation.
With the strike suspended, police redeployment agreed and the implementation process paused for two weeks, attention will now turn to the seven-man committee as it begins its review of the Federal Government’s agreement with the King’s College Old Students’ Association.
The outcome of that process is expected to guide the next phase of discussions between government and labour.
Adeola Kunle
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