Lagos Takes Health Campaign To Rural Communities

The Lagos State Government has launched a community-based health and sanitation campaign aimed at promoting healthy hygiene practices and preventing the spread of diseases at the grassroots.

The programme, launched in Oriade Local Council Development Area, is expected to extend across the five divisions of the state.

The initiative, organised by the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy Affairs and Rural Development, seeks to take health and sanitation education directly to communities through local government structures and community development associations.

The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Kikelomo Bolarinwa, said the campaign was designed to make basic health and sanitation practices part of residents’ daily routines.

She said a clean and healthy environment was central to the wellbeing and productivity of communities, urging community leaders, youths and residents to participate actively in the campaign.

Bolarinwa said the programme would “strengthen public awareness, encourage responsible sanitation practices, promote behavioural change and deepen community ownership of collective environmental health responsibilities.”

She said the campaign was focused on changing behaviour by taking health and hygiene advocacy beyond formal health facilities to neighbourhoods where residents made daily decisions about sanitation and personal healthcare.

 

ADVERTORIAL

For detailed information on our editing services, please see inside

 

The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Local Government and Rural Development, Babatunde Durojaiye, said the campaign was prompted by the state government’s focus on healthcare, hygiene and living conditions under its development agenda.

He urged participants to pay attention to the health and hygiene information provided by the facilitators and apply it in their communities.

The Chairman of Oriade LCDA, Rasaq Olojede, said the council would continue to work with the state government to promote hygienic practices at the local level.

The Chairman of the Community Development Committee in Oriade, Victor Okunola, also pledged the cooperation of community development associations in extending the campaign across the LCDA.

The programme featured presentations on health and environmental hygiene by a professional from the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, Felicia Obisesan, and the Director of Health Education and Promotion Services in the Ministry of Health, Elizabeth Oguntona.

The government said the campaign would use community participation to strengthen awareness of preventive healthcare and sanitation practices.

  

Read More

Eight Escape Death As Three Trucks Collide On Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

Eight occupants of three trucks escaped death on Thursday after the vehicles were involved in a multiple-vehicle crash on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, around the Sinoma outbound Lagos axis in the Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State.

The accident, which occurred around 3:30 pm, involved eight male occupants, none of whom were injured or killed.

The incident was contained in a traffic and accident situation report issued by the Mowe-Ibafo Divisional Command of the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps.

According to the report signed by the Divisional Commander, Ojo Olarinsoye, the vehicles involved were a white HOWO truck with registration number MDB-610XA, conveying wheat; a yellow DAF truck with registration number GME-33XA, conveying Vaseline cream; and a white MAN truck with a gas tanker, with registration number BDG-750YL.

 

ADVERTORIAL

For detailed information on our editing services, please see inside

 

The report stated that preliminary findings indicated that the DAF truck rammed into the rear of the HOWO truck, reportedly due to impatience, with the impact subsequently affecting the MAN truck.

It read, “Preliminary information revealed that the Yellow DAF Truck rammed into the rear of the White HOWO Truck, reportedly due to impatience, and the impact subsequently affected the White MAN Truck with Gas Tanker.”

Despite the impact involving three trucks, the agency said none of the eight occupants sustained injuries or lost their lives.

The report stated that TRACE operatives arrived at the scene around 6:13 pm, shortly after the accident was reported.

The rescue and traffic management operation involved TRACE, Amotekun and the Police Motor Traffic Division, Sagamu.

The agency said its operatives, working with Amotekun and the police, controlled traffic and managed the situation while efforts were made to remove the affected vehicles from the carriageway.

It added that the Police MTD, Sagamu, was contacted and arranged towing services for the affected vehicles.

According to the report, the yellow DAF truck was towed to the custody of the Police MTD, Sagamu, while the white HOWO truck and the white MAN truck with a gas tanker were driven away from the carriageway by their respective drivers.

The agency noted that motorists experienced slow movement as the affected trucks occupied part of the carriageway during the evacuation process.

It, however, said the situation was brought under control after all the affected trucks were successfully evacuated and the carriageway cleared.

  

Read More

NBA Backs Lagos Anti-Street Begging Bill, Demands Safeguards

The Lagos State branch of the Nigerian Bar Association has backed a proposed law to prohibit street begging and street urchins in the state, but urged the House of Assembly to strengthen its provisions and ensure enforcement does not criminalise poverty or violate the rights of vulnerable people.

The Chairman of the NBA Lagos Branch, Uchenna Akingbade, stated this at a public hearing on the proposed Street Begging and Street Urchins (Prohibition, Prevention and Rehabilitation) Bill 2026 at the Lagos State House of Assembly earlier this week.

The NBA said the legislation was necessary to address the use of children for begging, obstruction of public spaces and cases of violent or coercive solicitation, but called for clear safeguards around arrest, detention and rehabilitation.

Akingbade said the situation was particularly concerning along the Lekki-Epe corridor and called for urgent intervention, including the possibility of declaring a state of emergency in identified flashpoints.

He urged the lawmakers to remove ambiguity from the proposed offence of “loitering for the purpose of begging” and called for tougher penalties where people engaged in begging were found carrying dangerous weapons.

The NBA chairman also called for more rehabilitation centres, arguing that enforcement should be accompanied by measures to address the circumstances that leave vulnerable people on the streets.

The association stressed that children found begging should be treated as children in need of care and protection and handled separately from adult offenders under the Lagos State Child Rights Law.

It also called for stronger penalties against adults who exploit children for begging, alongside due process, court oversight and defined limits on detention and rehabilitation.

 

ADVERTORIAL

For detailed information on our editing services, please see inside

 

The proposed law would establish a rehabilitation-centred enforcement regime. First-time offenders would be cautioned and taken to rehabilitation centres, while subsequent offences could attract a fine or imprisonment of up to three months. Serial offenders could face up to two years in prison.

The rehabilitation programme contemplated by the bill includes temporary care, vocational training, literacy programmes, psychological counselling, life-skills training and welfare support.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Youth, Sports and Social Development, Abiodun Orekoya, said the Assembly recognised that street begging was not merely a question of public order.

He said the issue had security, socio-economic, developmental and child-protection dimensions, insisting that the legislative response must be “firm and humane”.

Orekoya said vulnerable children found on the streets should be protected rather than merely punished, adding that the proposed framework was intended to provide for their care, education, rehabilitation and possible reintegration into their families and communities.

He also stressed that enforcement must respect the fundamental rights guaranteed under Chapter IV of the 1999 Constitution, including protection against torture, inhuman or degrading treatment and unlawful detention.

Speaking on behalf of the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, White Cap Chief Gbolahan Oki said arrests had failed to deter some offenders because they expected to regain their freedom shortly after being detained.

“The culprits don’t see arrest as anything because they know the police nets are filled up and they know they will be out soon,” Oki said.

He proposed a rehabilitation model based on productive work, referring to the traditional Itekule concept under which offenders could be made to contribute through activities such as bread production.

“What can curb the menace is to be subjected to two years of hard work,” he said.

The proposed law has also drawn calls for differentiated treatment of people whose presence on the streets may be linked to mental health conditions.

The Executive Director of Elixir Trust Foundation, Emmanuel Ikule, urged the Assembly to provide for people begging with mental health challenges to be referred to appropriate psychiatric and rehabilitation facilities.

Ikule cited Pen Cinema and Ojodu-Berger as areas where, he alleged, some people had used knives at night to extort money from unsuspecting members of the public.

A counselling psychologist, Suliat Olaniran, also raised concerns about alleged cases in which dangerous weapons were used to compel people to give money at night.

The bill also seeks to prevent the exploitation of children by prohibiting parents, guardians and custodians from using or permitting children to engage in street begging or hawking.

Children apprehended under the proposed law would be dealt with under the Lagos State Child Rights Law and referred to child-welfare authorities.

The NBA, however, said the proposed law should target harmful conduct and exploitation rather than poverty, homelessness or disability.

It also called for the agency to be created under the legislation to have clearly defined responsibilities, adequate government funding, financial accountability and safeguards for the personal data of children and adults brought within the system.

The Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, Mojisola Meranda, who represented the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, said the proposed law was not intended to deprive anyone of their rights and welcomed support from private organisations in tackling the problem.

The bill envisages collaboration among government agencies, the Nigeria Police Force, Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps, traditional institutions, religious organisations, families, communities, schools, civil society groups and the private sector.

  

Read More

Why We Dumped APC For APM - Agege Aspirants, Say Mudasiru Obasa Has Nothing To Do With It

A former Chairman of the Agege Local Government Area of Lagos State, Ganiyu Egunjobi, and a former aspirant in Agege Constituency II, Azeez Yusuf, have dismissed reports linking their defection from the All Progressives Congress to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudasiru Obasa.

The duo said this in a statement they jointly signed and made available to Lagos Today Extra!,.

The duo, who contested the tickets of the All Progressives Congress for Agege Constituencies I and II respectively, emerged as candidates of the Allied Peoples Movement on Thursday.

Their defection came after an APC primary in which Egunjobi’s former Vice-Chairman, Glenga Abiola, was declared the winner of the Agege Constituency I ticket.

Likewise, Yusuf had lost the primary ticket to Sakiru Enimakure.

However, the former APC members who insisted on their victory at the primaries have clarified the misleading report that Obasa was behind their exit from the party.

They noted that the decision was carefully considered independently.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Rt. Hon. Mudasiru Obasa had no hand whatsoever in our decision to leave the APC and contest under the platform of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM). The decision was entirely ours and was taken independently after careful consideration of our experiences within the party,” the statement partly read.

While stating that they showed loyalty to the APC structure in the Agege LGA, despite “political challenges,” they were later confronted with “grave injustice.”

 

ADVERTORIAL

For detailed information on our editing services, please see inside

 

They maintained that party defections were typical in the Nigerian political space, saying the movement “from one political party to another was not unusual in Nigerian politics,” citing “former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, who is now Director-General of the governorship campaign of the APC candidate, Obafemi Hamzat,” as an example.

“What is the issue with our decision to leave? Obanikoro once left the party and was even openly critical of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“We did not leave then. We remained, strengthened the party and contributed to its growth. We had never contemplated leaving until we were confronted with what we considered grave injustice,” they claimed.

The duo lamented their disappointment at the leadership of the APC as it “failed to initiate any meaningful reconciliation effort after the disputed primaries.”

The former APC aspirants “maintained that their decision to join the APM was, therefore, “a direct consequence of what they described as the denial of their mandates.”

According to the statement, Egunjobi and Yusuf made internal efforts within the APC by “submitting petitions and seeking redress, but were disappointed that the leadership did not invite them for reconciliation or provide a satisfactory resolution to their complaints.”

The statement noted that their “defection should, therefore, not be interpreted as a move engineered.” Rather, it was a decision they took “after considering their experience within the APC and the failure to resolve the dispute over the primary elections.”

  

Read More

Sanwo-Olu, Fashola, Ambode Named In Lagos APC Campaign Council

The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has released the structure of its campaign council ahead of the 2027 general elections, listing Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, former governors Babatunde Fashola and Akinwunmi Ambode.

The Kadri Obafemi Hamzat Media Centre published the list on Thursday.

According to the list, Prince Tajudeen Olusi will serve as Chairman of the Governance Advisory Council, while Sanwo-Olu is listed as Advisory Council Chairman. Fashola and Ambode are named as Co-Chairmen.

 

ADVERTORIAL

For detailed information on our editing services, please see inside

 

Other members of the advisory structure include the President’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila; Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa; and former Minister of Health, Adeleke Mamora.

At the campaign council level, Sanwo-Olu is listed as Chairman, with his deputy, Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, as Deputy Chairman.

The council also names Ojelabi Cornelius as Vice Chairman I, Obasa as Vice Chairman II and Damilola Sonayon James as Vice Chairman III.

Former Senator Musiliu Obanikoro is listed as Director-General, while Rasaq Ajala is named Deputy Director-General and Adekunle Olayinka as Campaign Secretary.

The council has various directorates and sub-committees covering areas including legal and compliance, party and inter-party affairs, administration and logistics, traditional institutions, diaspora engagement and residents’ associations.

The formal inauguration of the council members was held on Friday, September 18, at the APC Secretariat on ACME Road, Ikeja, Lagos.

  

Read More

Boxers Gun For Fame As 'Battle Of The Ages' Hits Lagos September 26

Three boxing titles will be up for grabs when De Lads Boxing Promotion stages the 14th edition of its Battle of the Ages series, tagged ‘No Reconciliation’, at the NIS Gymnasium in Lagos on September 26.

The bill features seven professional bouts and one celebrity fight, all sanctioned by the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control.

The headline attraction is a rematch between Ridwan “Sojar Boy” Oyekola and Tosin “Scorpion” Osaigbovo for the WBA Africa Gold lightweight title over 10 rounds, while other title fights on the night include a WBA Africa lightweight clash between Idowu Rasheed and Ghana’s Benjamin Tetteh, and a national middleweight title bout pitting Damilare Arowolo against an unbeaten Azeem Bakare.

The undercard also features Ahmed Lawal against Sodiq Oyakojo for the national lightweight challenge, Saheed Abdullahi against Abdul-Afeez Oshoba for the national welterweight challenge, Rilwan Babatunde against Michael Ani for the national super-welterweight challenge, and Uzoukwu Cadet against Omejeh Chimaobi in a heavyweight contest. The celebrity fight will see Kelvin Power take on a bodybuilder known as Viper.

 

ADVERTORIAL

For detailed information on our editing services, please see inside

 

Speaking at the fight’s press conference, President of the Nigeria Boxing Board of Control, Dr Rafiu Oladipo, said professional boxing had grown into one of the country’s top two sports over the last five years, having previously struggled for relevance.

“In the last five years, boxing has thrived and has become one of the top two sports in Nigeria. That is professional boxing,” he said.

Oladipo commended the De-Lads promotion for investing in young fighters and helping to keep them off the streets, urging the boxers on the card to take their profession seriously.

He added that he was looking forward to Nigeria producing Commonwealth and world champions. He also credited the board’s support for promoters for the steady rise in boxing events across the country.

“We did our bit, and now we see boxing events every week, and on occasions, two events took place in one day. That’s because the NBBofC have created a space of support for the promoters, and this has helped to secure the future of Nigeria, as the youths who box are the future of Nigeria,” he said, describing De-Lads as one of the promotions the board was committed to sustaining.

Promoter and CEO of De-Lads Boxing Promotion, Alhaji Waheed, said the event had continued to grow with each edition.

“As you can see, from every edition we are progressing and we are keeping the growth going. Although at every event, we try to correct the mistakes of the previous one,” he said, noting that additional agencies and bouncers had been engaged to address security breaches recorded at an earlier edition. He disclosed that the event would be streamed on at least three platforms, with more expected to be added before fight night.

Secretary-General of the NBBofC, Remi Aboderin, promised fight fans an entertaining night at the venue.

“The fans can look forward to an amazing time at the NIS Gymnasium. We also have arrangements made for the livestream. If you are not able to buy tickets, you can stream as well. It will be an electric night to remember with entertaining bouts,” he said.

Ahead of the bouts, several fighters traded words at the press conference. Lawal, popularly called ‘Small Tyson’, vowed the fight would not go the distance, insisting he would let his fists do the talking, while Oyakojo, known as ‘Golden Boy’, dismissed the threat and promised to show why he carries that nickname.

Abdullahi said he had the speed and strength to trouble the more experienced Oshoba, who countered that experience remained the best teacher. Babatunde, nicknamed ‘Babyface’, said he was a man of few words who preferred to let the ring do his talking, while his opponent, Ani, said he had travelled from Onitsha purely for business, not spectacle. Arowolo promised to go toe-to-toe with his unbeaten rival, Bakare, who in turn said he had no reason to fear the challenge.

The celebrity bout has also generated buzz, with Power alleging that Viper owed him N1.5m and had reneged on a promise to repay the debt depending on the fight’s outcome, claiming his rival had already skipped the pre-fight conference. In the Jollof derby, Rasheed took a swipe at his Ghanaian opponent, Tetteh, describing himself as a knockout fighter and warning him to be wary, while pointing to an earlier win over another Ghanaian boxer as proof of his credentials.

The event is sponsored by the Bet9ja Foundation, Fearless, LSSC, and other partners.

  

Read More

Jide Kosoko, Eniola Badmus, Toyin Abraham, Other Celebrities Named In APC Lagos Campaign Council

Veteran actor Jide Kosoko, Fuji musicians Wasiu Alabi Pasuma, Abass Akande Obesere and Adewale Ayuba, and Nollywood stars Toyin Abraham, Eniola Badmus

and Bimbo Akintola are among dozens of entertainment industry figures named to the All Progressives Congress Lagos State Campaign Council’s Entertainment

and Creative Economy Directorate.

The directorate is contained in the full list of the campaign council released by the Kadri Obafemi Hamzat Media Centre on Thursday, ahead of the council’s

inauguration on Friday, September 18, at the APC Secretariat, ACME Road, Ikeja.

According to the list, Toke Benson-Awoyinka will serve as Director of the directorate, with Kosoko as Co-Director and actress Badmus as Deputy Director.

Akeem Alimi, popularly known as Ajala Jalingo, is listed as Secretary, and Dare Olateju as Assistant Secretary.

 

ADVERTORIAL

For detailed information on our editing services, please see inside

 

Other members drawn from the Yoruba movie industry include veteran actor Oga Bello (Adebayo Salami), Saheed Balogun, Bukky Wright, Fathia Balogun, Yinka

Quadri and Tayo Sobola.

The Fuji music sector is also well represented, with Pasuma, Obesere, Ayuba, Sulaimon Alao Adekunle (Malaika), Akorede Babatunde Okunola (Osupa) and Temitope

Adekunle (Small Doctor) all listed as members.

The directorate is one of several structures under the campaign council, which lists Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu as Chairman and Kadri Obafemi Hamzat as

Deputy Chairman.

  

Read More

How 45,000-Litre Petrol Tanker Overturned In Epe

A tanker loaded with 45,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit overturned at Isimi, Epe, Lagos State, on Thursday, spilling its contents onto the roadway.

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency disclosed this in a statement signed by its Permanent Secretary, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu.

The agency said no life was lost and no injury was recorded in the incident.

According to the statement, the tanker, with registration number T-18212LA, was involved in an accident with a Ford pickup van, marked KJA-13FJ, which had developed a mechanical fault and was stationary along the carriageway.

LASEMA said, “Preliminary investigation revealed that the tanker, while attempting to manoeuvre past the stationary Ford pickup van which had developed a mechanical fault along the carriageway, had one of its rear tyres slip into a pit, causing it to overturn and fall onto the pickup van, leading to spillage of its highly inflammable contents onto the roadway.”

The agency said it received a distress call at 10:19am and immediately activated its LRT Beta Whales Team stationed at Epe.

It said, “Upon arrival, responders observed a tanker laden with 45,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, with registration number T-18212LA, which was involved in an accident with a Ford pickup van loaded with animal feed, with registration number KJA-13FJ.”

 

ADVERTORIAL

For detailed information on our editing services, please see inside

 

LASEMA said it activated its multi-agency incident management protocol, with the LRT working alongside the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps, Federal Road Safety Corps and the Nigeria Police Force.

It said the agencies “promptly secured the incident perimeter, implemented traffic control and diversion measures, and deployed safety protocols to prevent a secondary incident.”

According to the agency, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service blanketed the fallen tanker and its immediate surroundings with chemical foam to mitigate the risk of a fire outbreak.

“The affected section of the road was temporarily closed to vehicular movement to ensure public safety,” the statement added.

LASEMA said the remaining PMS was successfully transferred from the damaged tanker to an empty tanker.

“Through seamless coordination and professional execution, the transloading of the remaining PMS from the accidented tanker to an empty tanker was successfully completed without incident,” it said.

The agency added that both vehicles were subsequently removed from the roadway with the aid of a private tow truck and taken to Ketu Police Station.

“The road has since been reopened and is now free for vehicular activities,” LASEMA said.

The agency said, “Fortunately, no loss of life or injury was recorded in the incident.”

Oke-Osanyintolu commended the emergency responders for their intervention, saying, “The swift response and synergy of all emergency responders whose professionalism averted what could have resulted in a major disaster.”

He also appealed to motorists, particularly heavy-duty vehicle and tanker drivers, to ensure their vehicles were in good mechanical condition and exercise caution on Lagos roads.

The statement said, “The Permanent Secretary appeals to motorists, particularly drivers of heavy-duty vehicles and tankers conveying combustible products, to ensure their vehicles are in good mechanical condition, adhere strictly to traffic regulations, and exercise utmost caution on Lagos roads.”

It urged members of the public to report emergencies and road incidents through the 767 and 112 toll-free emergency lines.

  

Read More

The Proposed Magistrates’ Law Amendment Was Not Sponsored By My Office - Lagos Attorney-General

The Lagos State Government has clarified that the proposed amendment to the Magistrates’ Law currently before the state’s House of Assembly is not an executive bill, but a private member’s initiative aimed at addressing structural issues within the state’s justice system.

The state’s Attorney-General (AG) and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro (SAN), said the controversy surrounding the bill had made it necessary to set the record straight on its origin, purpose and policy context.

He said that contrary to public perception, the proposed amendment was not sponsored by his office but had been introduced independently and is undergoing legislative consideration by the Assembly.

According to him, the position of the Ministry of Justice is guided by a long-standing policy that aligns with the conditions of service of law officers in those Magistrates, a framework that has been in place in Lagos since 1997 following a government circular.

Pedro explained that such harmonisation is not unique to Lagos State, noting that states, including Abia, Kogi, Benue, Imo and Kwara, have enacted similar laws to ensure parity between law officers and Magistrates in terms of remuneration and service conditions.

He added that the proposed amendment should be viewed as a continuation of this established policy rather than the creation of new privileges for a specific group of officers.

 

ADVERTORIAL

For detailed information on our editing services, please see inside

 

The attorney-general also pointed to developments in Osun State, where legislation enacted in 2023 increased the retirement age of officers involved in the administration of justice, including state counsel and court registrars, to 65 years.

Pedro said the initiative was partly necessitated by the 2023 constitutional amendment that raised the retirement age of High Court judges from 65 to 70 years, saying that prior to the constitutional change, predictable vacancies existed on the High Court Bench, creating opportunities for the elevation of experienced Chief Magistrates and senior law officers.

However, the AG noted that the extension of the retirement age for High Court judges had reduced the frequency of such vacancies, thereby limiting career progression opportunities within the lower judiciary and the Ministry of Justice.

He said the proposed amendment seeks to address this imbalance by creating a more coherent career structure and ensuring that experienced officers are retained for a reasonable period.

The attorney-general, who stated that the reform is intended to promote fairness, enhance stability within the justice system and strengthen succession planning by allowing for mentorship and knowledge transfer, maintained that the legislative intervention, if passed, would contribute to the continued development of the justice system and ensure that the state benefits from the expertise of its most experienced judicial and legal officers.

  

Read More

King’s College: Alausa Pauses Implementation As Unions Suspend Strike

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, and labour unions in the Federal Ministry of Education have reached a two-week truce to end the immediate crisis over the proposed 35-year concession of King’s College, Lagos, and the disruption of activities in Federal Unity Colleges nationwide.

Under a five-point agreement reached at a meeting between the education ministers and representatives of the unions on Wednesday, the workers agreed to immediately suspend their industrial action, paving the way for the reopening and resumption of academic activities in more than 100 Federal Unity Colleges affected by the dispute.

The agreement also provides for a two-week pause in the implementation of the proposed takeover of the management of King’s College by its old students’ association.

Analysts say the ceasefire will give both sides time to review the contentious arrangement.

As part of the pact, the Federal Government also agreed that no worker would be victimised for participating in the industrial action, while policemen deployed to the premises of King’s College would be redeployed.

The meeting further resolved to constitute a seven-man committee to negotiate and critically examine the Federal Government’s agreement with the King’s College old students, with a view to addressing the concerns raised by the unions.

 

ADVERTORIAL

For detailed information on our editing services, please see inside

 

The development effectively suspends the immediate confrontation between the ministry and the unions, while creating a two-week window for negotiations on the King’s College concession and other grievances raised by the workers.

Earlier in a press conference, Dr Alausa had declared that there was no going back on the Federal Government’s proposed concession despite mounting opposition from workers, parents and other stakeholders.

He stressed that the government had followed due process in arriving at the decision and remained committed to the concession as part of efforts to improve the school’s infrastructure, resources and overall management.

The minister maintained that the proposed concession was not an abandonment of the institution by the Federal Government, but a move intended to address infrastructure and management challenges and improve the quality of education at the college.

He, however, accused some directors in the Federal Ministry of Education of fuelling the controversy by mobilising workers against the government’s decision.

He alleged that misinformation about the concession was being deliberately circulated by some union members and what he described as “unscrupulous” staff of the ministry.

“Misinformation has been going around, perpetuated by union members and unscrupulous members of staff of the Federal Ministry of Education,” he said.

Alausa also took a swipe at the Parent-Teacher Association of King’s College, accusing it of turning admission into a lucrative enterprise and allegedly demanding as much as N20 million from prospective students.

“The PTA of King’s College has turned admission into King’s College into criminal enterprise,” he alleged.

His declaration came amid escalating opposition by workers in the ministry and other stakeholders, who have raised concerns over concession of the 117-year old institution to the King’s College Old Boys Association.

According to him, the alumni had spent over N2billion on the institution with nothing to show for it.

He explained that, contrary to reports circulated by the workers, the school was not for sale, stressing that the Federal Government would retain full ownership of the school despite the proposed management arrangement with the Old Boys Association. “We haven’t sold it to them. The property still remains Federal Government property,” Alausa said, insisting that the government retains 100 per cent ownership of the school.

Alausa also assured workers that the proposed management arrangement would not result in job losses or demotions, stressing that affected staff would retain their appointments and existing levels within the public service.

He said the government had considered the concerns of the workers and would ensure that their employment rights and benefits were protected throughout the process.

He explained that workers who might be affected by the arrangement would have the option of being redeployed to other federal institutions within the education sector where their services were needed.

According to him, teachers and non-academic staff could be posted to other Unity Colleges and federal institutions, with the government maintaining that no worker would be forced out of employment as a result of the proposed concession.

  

Read More