TUC Kicks Against Privatisation Of Unity Schools
The Trade Union Congress (TUC), on Tuesday kicked against planned privatisation of Unity Schools in Nigeria, describing such move as ”malicious agenda”
Speaking at the 12th Triennial National Delegate Conference in Abuja, TUC President Comrade Quadri Olaleye said his members will use everything legally to resist what he described as mortgaging of secondary school education .
According to him, there is nowhere in the world where secondary education is run as a profit-making venture, insisting that its members would use every available means to resist the attempt of mortgaging secondary school education.
It would be recalled that the Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, had in September 2021 vowed that he would take over sponsorship of a bill that will empower boards of trustees to take over total management of the schools using the Public Private Participation (PPP) model.
Comrade Olaleye further maintained that the Congress’ findings revealed that the government is hell-bent in destroying Nigeria’s secondary and tertiary education with its privatisation moves and lackadaisical attitude towards ASUU strike.
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”We are not unaware about the serious conspiracy to privatise the 110 Federal Government Colleges and the push in the National Assembly to actualise the malicious agenda.
”There is nowhere in the world where secondary education is run as a profit-making venture; we wonder why ours is different. We warn that we are not going to allow our collective patrimony to be sold to a handful of individuals and highest bidder,” the TUC boss said.
Olaleye, while speaking on growing insecurity in the country, described huge amount of funds being spent on security sector as a waste, calling on the government to summon a political will in naming and shaming sponsors of insecurity in the country.
”We have observed with concern the increasing incidents of banditry, kidnapping, robbery in the country. The air, rail and road transport systems are no longer safe. About two weeks ago, Kuje prison in Abuja was attacked and according to the Defence Ministry account, five people were killed, 879 inmates escaped, 443 were recaptured while 64 Boko Haram terrorists escaped.
”It is obvious the millions of Naira invested into national security is a waste of resources. The terrorists are emboldened by the day making Nigerians more vulnerable. This ugly development keeps investors, especially foreigners away.
”We urge the federal government to, for once summon the political will to name, shame and end the killing of Nigerians in churches, mosques, roads and their houses. Nigerians want to sleep with their two eyes closed,”.