Alausa Assures King’s College Staff: No Dismissals as TUC Suspends Strike By Beauty Akporido Aroh
The Federal Government has assured staff of King’s College, Lagos, that no member of the institution’s academic or non-academic workforce will be dismissed over the ongoing issues surrounding the management of the school.
The assurance was given by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, following a high-level engagement between the Federal Ministry of Education, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and other stakeholders on the proposed arrangement for the King’s College Old Boys Association to continue managing the institution.
At the meeting, Dr. Alausa announced that implementation of the arrangement would proceed, while a seven-member high-level committee would be constituted to review outstanding concerns and consider additional recommendations that could be incorporated into the agreement already signed.
The committee, which has been given one to two weeks to complete its assignment, will comprise two representatives of the Federal Ministry of Education, including the Minister of State for Education and the Acting Permanent Secretary; one representative of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment; two senior representatives of the TUC; and two representatives of the King’s College Old Boys Association.
Dr. Alausa said the engagement was conducted in the spirit of mutual respect and in the national interest, stressing that dialogue remained essential to resolving areas of disagreement among stakeholders.
He explained that while stakeholders might not secure everything they had demanded, constructive deliberation would provide the basis for reaching a solution that would ultimately serve the country and protect the interests of the institution.
The Minister also gave a categorical assurance that all academic and non-academic staff of King’s College would continue to be treated in accordance with the Public Service Rules, with no infringement of the rules regarding their deployment.
“No staff will be dismissed,” Dr. Alausa assured, adding that no member of staff would be demonised, victimised or punished because of the issues under consideration.
The development has also led to the suspension of the industrial action earlier directed by the TUC against its affiliates, with the union giving the newly constituted committee time to undertake its assignment.
TUC General Secretary, Comrade Nuhu Toro, described the engagement as fruitful and robust, saying the concerns of the unions were openly presented and considered in good faith.
Toro said the suspension of the industrial action would allow the committee to examine the relevant policy document, raise further concerns and make contributions before the parties reconvene within the stipulated period.
He, however, noted that the unions retained the option of resuming the suspended action should the outcome of the committee’s work fail to address their concerns.
The TUC General Secretary welcomed the constitution of the committee, describing it as an opportunity for all parties to carefully review the outstanding issues and work towards an acceptable resolution.
He also called for urgent intervention to improve the condition of King’s College, stressing that the current situation could not be allowed to continue and that the dilapidated state of the institution required immediate attention.
Toro described the outcome of the meeting as a “win-win situation,” noting that the unions had secured assurances on the concerns of their members, while the government had demonstrated willingness to revisit issues requiring further consideration.
Meanwhile, all Unity Schools are expected to resume academic activities immediately, following the resolution reached between the government and labour.
The engagement is part of the Federal Government’s broader efforts to strengthen the management, infrastructure and overall condition of public educational institutions while improving the quality of learning under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Dr. Alausa reaffirmed the government’s commitment to continued engagement with the unions and other stakeholders, stressing that the process would be guided by mutual respect, the law and the national interest.
He assured stakeholders that the Federal Government would continue working with them to strengthen King’s College, preserve its historic heritage and improve its learning environment, while protecting the interests of students and staff and advancing efforts to build a stronger education system for Nigerian children.
