The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) on Wednesday, September 23, suspended its strike in unity schools nationwide over the federal government’s concession of King’s College, Lagos, to the school’s old boys’ association.
The directive was contained in a communiqué issued on Wednesday and signed by the association’s zonal coordinators, Yusuf S.A. for the south-west, Tanko Augustine for the north-east, Abubakar Muhammad for the north-west, Udop Ogbodim for the south-south, Nosike F.O. for the south-east and Amodo Isiaka for the north-central.
The communiqué said the decision followed a meeting between the ASCSN national body and the leadership of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Kano on Tuesday September 22.
The meeting was attended by ASCSN national president Shehu Muhammed and TUC secretary-general Nuhu Toho.
The federal government had reached a five-point agreement with the unions on Monday, September 14, with both sides agreeing to suspend the industrial action.
The agreement also provided for the withdrawal of policemen from the school premises and assured that no union member would be punished for participating in protests against the concession to the King’s College Old Boys Association (KCOBA).
Following the agreement, the TUC leadership directed ASCSN and its affiliate unions to suspend industrial action over the concession.
The federal government also suspended the implementation of the concession for two weeks on Wednesday, September 16, and established a seven-member committee to further discuss the arrangement with KCOBA.
However, ASCSN zonal coordinators continued the strike, accusing the government of breaching the September 14 agreement.
In the latest communiqué, the workers said they had considered the agreement reached by TUC and the federal ministry of education over the lingering concession dispute.
The association consequently directed its members to resume work across unity colleges nationwide pending the submission of the committee’s report.
“The zonal coordinators of the unity schools agreed with the national leadership of the ASCSN that the strike be suspended immediately while awaiting the report of the committee,” the communiqué stated.
The workers said the decision was also reached after considering the communiqué signed by TUC, ASCSN and the federal ministry of education, as well as the concession document for King’s College, Lagos.
They said suspending the strike would allow the seven-member committee to review the concession document.
The strike had stalled academic activities in unity colleges nationwide since September 13, when the schools were scheduled to resume.
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