Unity Colleges Shutdown: Parents, Students Lament As FG Schools Remain Closed

The ongoing indefinite strike by workers in Nigeria’s Unity Schools has disrupted academic activities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), with students unable to resume as scheduled at some Federal Government Colleges in Abuja.

When LEADERSHIP visited the Federal Government Girls’ College (FGGC), Bwari, on Monday, the school environment was unusually quiet as only vehicles belonging to members of staff were seen driving into the premises.

A visit to the school showed that the gate remained shut, with placards displayed at the entrance by protesting workers, while only vehicles belonging to staff members were seen entering the premises.

Some students who arrived at the school dressed in mufti were seen waiting around the gate to ascertain the situation and know how the strike would affect their resumption plans.

Some staff members who spoke anonymously declined to comment on the development, insisting that their unions were responsible for communicating their position to the public.

The protest, which has affected federal unity colleges across the country, has also attracted the support of civil society groups, with placards at the school gate carrying messages such as “An injury to one is an injury to all” and opposing any move to concession or privatise federal unity colleges.

A parent and member of the Parents Teachers Association (PTA), Mrs Gladys Bello, expressed disappointment over the development, saying the situation would place additional financial burden on parents if the schools were eventually privatised.

Bello warned that transferring the management of unity schools to private individuals or associations could make the schools unaffordable for many families.

“It is very unfortunate that this is happening at this moment in the country’s history. I don’t know why it is during my time as a parent that I would be experiencing this.

“When you are considering selling unity schools or handing them over to individuals or old boys’ associations, it means you are making life difficult for parents. The child of the poor man may no longer have access to these schools because school fees, tuition and other charges will definitely increase,” she said.

She added that parents were worried because students were expected to resume ahead of academic activities but could not do so due to the industrial action.

“As you can see, our children are supposed to resume today, but because of this development, honestly, we cannot resume. We are very concerned and saddened by what is happening,” Bello said.

Also, at Federal Government Boys College in Garki, returning students who arrived at the school were left stranded outside the gate as they tried to ascertain the situation and know whether the industrial action would affect their resumption.

Some students, who had come dressed in mufti, were also seen gathered around the entrance of the school, expressing uncertainty over when academic activities would commence.

One of the students said they came to the school to find out the reason for the delay and whether they would be allowed into the premises.

“Many of us came expecting that school would resume, but we discovered that things were not moving as usual. We came to know what is happening and how it will affect us,” the student said.

The closure of the schools followed the directive of the Joint Workers’ Union of Unity Schools, which ordered staff members of Federal Government Colleges across the country to embark on an indefinite strike.

The unions, which include the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), and other workers’ bodies, are protesting the federal government’s concession of Kings College, Lagos, to its alumni association.

The workers have expressed opposition to the arrangement, arguing that the concession of the historic institution could set a precedent for the transfer of other public schools to private interests.

The industrial action has forced several Unity Schools to remain closed despite the scheduled resumption period, leaving students, parents and school authorities awaiting further intervention from the federal government and the unions.