The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria has directed workers in Federal Unity Colleges across the country not to resume duties on Sunday, September 13, and Monday, September 14, 2026, over the planned concession of King’s College, Lagos, and other Federal Unity Colleges.

The association, an affiliate of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, announced the directive in a communiqué issued after an emergency virtual meeting of its zonal coordinators on Thursday.

The communiqué was jointly signed by Comrade Omidiji Olusola Kunle, Lagos Zonal Coordinator (Secretary); Comrade Abubakar Muhammad, North-West Coordinator; Comrade Yusuf S.A., South-West Coordinator; Comrade Tanko Augustine, North-East Coordinator; Comrade Udop Ogbodim, South-South Coordinator; Comrade Nosike F.O., South-East Coordinator; and Comrade Amodo Yinka Isiaka, North Central Coordinator.

The meeting was convened in response to the alleged unilateral decision of the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, to concede, cede, hand over, or transfer King’s College, Lagos, to the school’s Old Boys Association without involving other stakeholders.

The association said the move was an “assault and an affront” to Nigeria’s unity, arguing that the Federal Unity Colleges were established to provide a model of secondary education where children from different backgrounds could interact, learn tolerance, and promote national cohesion.

It warned that conceding or selling the schools would make them inaccessible to millions of children from low-income families and turn them into commodities for wealthy Nigerians.

The association also expressed concern over the fate of thousands of workers employed by the Federal Government in the affected schools, saying they risked losing their jobs and joining an already saturated labour market.

It argued that Federal Government employees recruited by the Federal Civil Service Commission and working in the schools could not be transferred to private organisations without breaching the terms of their appointments and the Public Service Rules.

Consequently, the association rejected the proposed concession, sale or transfer of King’s College and all Federal Unity Colleges to private entrepreneurs.

It demanded that the Minister of Education immediately halt the plan, warning that the colleges should remain closed until the proposed concession arrangement was halted.

“The Union therefore resolved that pending the period during which the Minister of Education will stop this idea of concession/sale/handing over of King’s College, Lagos and all the Federal Unity Colleges in the country, the colleges should be shut down,” the communiqué stated.

The association further directed parents and guardians of students at King’s College and other Federal Unity Colleges to keep their children and wards at home, saying the schools would not resume as previously planned.

It called on all unit chairmen of the association in the Federal Unity Colleges, the Federal Ministry of Education headquarters, Federal Quality Assurance Services and the Federal Science Equipment Centre to enforce the “no resumption” directive.

“For the purpose of emphasis, the Federal Unity Colleges across the country are not resuming on Sunday, 13th of September, and Monday, 14th of September 2026 until further notice,” it stated. (The Nation)