The federal government, through the Federal Ministry of Education, and labour unions have reached a five-point agreement to resolve the lingering dispute over King’s College, Lagos, following negotiations aimed at addressing concerns surrounding the school’s proposed concession.
The agreement was reached at a meeting between Tunji Alausa and Suwaiba Ahmad, the ministers of education, and representatives of the Joint Workers Union and the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) in the ministry on Wednesday in Abuja.
Under the agreement, the labour unions are expected to immediately suspend the ongoing industrial action arising from concerns over the proposed arrangement involving King’s College.
The parties also agreed that no staff member would be victimised or subjected to any form of punitive action for participating in the industrial action.
The ministry further agreed to a two-week pause in the commencement of the implementation of the proposed takeover of King’s College by the institution’s old students.
Another resolution reached at the meeting was the redeployment of policemen from the premises of King’s College, Lagos, to help create an atmosphere conducive to further discussions.
Besides, both parties agreed to establish a seven-member committee to negotiate and examine the federal government’s agreement with the King’s College Old Boys Association (KCOBA).
The committee is expected to review the agreement, examine concerns raised by the labour unions and address issues arising from the proposed arrangement involving the school.
Meanwhile, the resolutions are geared towards creating an avenue for further dialogue between the federal government and the unions in order to resolve the dispute over King’s College, Lagos concession proposal.