Group against plan to hand Unity Schools to private investors, may go to court

The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has opposed what it calls the federal government's plan to hand over the country’s 120 Federal Government Colleges, also known as Unity Schools, to private investors.

In a statement from a press conference on Wednesday by the National Vice President of the Association, Olubunmi Fajobi, the group warned the government against this plan and threatened to take legal action if talks do not work out.

This opposition comes after the King’s College Old Boys’ Association said that the Nigerian government has conceded the school to them.

When asked for comments, Folasade Boriowo, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Education, directed inquiries to Ikharo Attah, the spokesperson for the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa.

But Mr Attah has not answered phone calls or responded to messages seeking to confirm if there is a planned concession of the Unity Schools or if the government has really handed King’s College over to the old boys association.

Opposition

The ASCSN claimed that the planned concession of the Unity Schools would lead to higher tuition fees. This would make the schools too expensive for children from low-income families and could also threaten the jobs of teachers and other staff.

The union said they had already issued a statement on 1 July, urging the federal government not to give the schools to private entrepreneurs or old students’ associations.

According to the ASCSN, privatizing the schools could push education officers and other workers into an already crowded job market.

“We will keep talking to the government to resolve this issue for all Nigerians. But if all efforts fail, the union will have no choice but to seek other options, including going to court,” Mr Fajobi stated in the text seen by this newspaper.

He asked, “If the Old Boys Association says the school has been ceded to them, what plan do they have for the students and the staff of the college?”

He insisted that Federal Government Colleges should remain public schools for Nigerian children, not private businesses.

The union also reminded everyone that they fought against a similar plan during former President Olusegun Obasanjo's time in 2005. Back then, the government wanted to hand over the schools under a Public-Private Partnership deal.

The ASCSN said they united labor unions, student groups, parents, civil society organizations, religious leaders, and traditional rulers against the proposal. They took industrial action and legal steps until the plan was dropped.

The union noted that the Unity School system became stable again in 2010 after former President Goodluck Jonathan ordered the return of junior secondary school sections that had been separated from some colleges.

Mr Fajobi argued that the schools were created to promote unity by bringing together students from different ethnic and social backgrounds. He emphasized that they should be kept as national assets.

He warned that if the schools are handed over to private operators, they could eventually turn into commercial businesses like hotels and shopping malls.