The seven-member committee set up by the Federal Government to review the proposed concession of King’s College, Lagos, finally held its inaugural meeting yesterday, with the Joint Workers Council (JWC) submitting a 23-page position paper outlining its position on the controversial arrangement.

The meeting brought together representatives of the Federal Ministry of Education, organised labour and the King’s College Old Boys Association (KCOBA), as the parties resumed negotiations over the future of the 117-year-old institution.

At the meeting presided over by the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, the unions presented their holistic position on the concession agreement to the Minister, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry and representatives of KCOBA, with the union delegation led by Comrade Innocent Bola-Audu.

In an statement issued after the meeting and made available to The Guardian last night, the JWC said its 23-page position document had been formally submitted to the ministry for review and consideration.

The statement was signed by the Chairman, JWC at the Federal Ministry of Education headquarters, Abraham Onuche; Chairman, Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), Chigozie Ngadi; Chairman, Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU), Ojelabi Ademola; and Chairman, Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), George Stainless.

The workers also clarified that no Federal Unity College had been concessioned, stressing that the process remained under consideration and that “no concession has been concluded or implemented.”

The JWC said it had presented six alternative options in its position paper for the ministry’s consideration, aimed at achieving improvements in the quality, standard, administration and overall development of the Federal Unity Colleges without compromising the interests of the schools and their stakeholders.

“The Union is not opposed to improvement,” the workers said, insisting that they were not against “any genuine initiative capable of improving the quality, standard, administration and overall development of the Federal Unity Colleges.”

The council further stated that “normal school activities are to continue,” with all Federal Unity Colleges expected to maintain their normal academic and administrative activities while the matter is being resolved.

It also stressed that “no date has been fixed for the next meeting,” adding that further engagements would be scheduled after the ministry had reviewed the union’s position paper.

The JWC, however, maintained that the position and agreement of critical stakeholders must be clearly established and reflected in any final arrangement concerning the schools.

“The position and agreement of critical stakeholders, particularly the Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) and the Unions, must be clearly spelt out and properly reflected in any arrangement concerning the schools,” it said.

The development followed the two-week suspension of the unions’ industrial action after the Federal Ministry of Education suspended implementation of the proposed King’s College concession to allow for further consultations.

The JWC said the suspension was predicated on an agreement reached between the management of the Federal Ministry of Education, the ASCSN national leadership and the Joint Workers Council of unions in the ministry’s headquarters.

The council said it remained committed to constructive engagement with the Ministry and all relevant stakeholders in the interest of the Federal Unity Colleges, their students, staff and the Nigerian education system.