By JUMOKE OLAITAN

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Federal Wing, has backed the suspension of resumption in all Federal Unity Colleges nationwide over the concession of King’s College, Lagos.

The Chairman of NUT, Federal Wing, Mr Emeka Okonta, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja.

Okonta stated categorically that teachers under the Federal Wing of the union would not resume for the new academic session until the issue surrounding the concession of King’s College was addressed.

“We are not resuming. We are in support of the suspension of the resumption,” he said.

He said the suspension was aimed at creating an opportunity for the unions to engage with the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, and seek clarification on the concession of the college.

He said the union was concerned that it had not been adequately informed about the agreement reached between the Federal Government and the alumni of King’s College regarding the concession.

“We want to discuss with the minister because we don’t know the essence of selling the school or concession.

“We want to understand what is the agreement they reached with the old boys or the alumni of King’s College,” he said.

Okonta said the union would not support the concession of the college when it does not have sufficient information on the arrangement.

He described King’s College as a public institution, stressing that allowing its concession could open the door for similar arrangements in other Federal Unity Colleges.

“The point is that if you allow that, it will spread to other schools. We don’t want that.

“It is not advisable. That is a public institution. So, you can’t do that,” he said.

He said the union’s position was that the concession should be reversed, while urging the minister to engage the unions on the matter.

NAN recalls that the Joint Congress of Unions of the Federal Ministry of Education had, in a communiqué issued on Thursday, announced the suspension of resumption in all Federal Unity Colleges nationwide until further notice.

The unions had said the action was in protest against the concession of King’s College, Lagos, and called for the reversal of the decision.

The affected institutions include Federal Government Colleges, Federal Government Boys’ Colleges, Federal Government Girls’ Colleges and Federal Technical Colleges.

The unions also called for the support of stakeholders, including the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), in opposing the concession.

The unions maintained that public educational institutions should not be privatised or conceded. (NAN)