Old students of Federal Government Colleges across Nigeria have staged coordinated awareness marches in Lagos, Abuja, and Kano, urging President Bola Tinubu to stop alleged attempts by private individuals to acquire landed assets belonging to federal unity schools under the guise of Public-Private Partnerships (PPP).
The protests focused heavily on the situation at Federal Government College Kano, where alumni claimed portions of the school’s land are being targeted for takeover by private interests.
Speaking with journalists in Lagos, President of the FGC Kano Old Students Association, Lagos Chapter, Dumfries Nwanfor, alleged that the developments were being orchestrated by “criminal elements” seeking to exploit PPP arrangements for personal gain.
“What is happening in FGC Kano is not in the interest of the public.
These individuals are using PPP arrangements as cover to grab public assets.
If this is allowed to continue, they will move on to other federal unity schools across the country,” he said.
Representatives from other unity schools who joined the demonstrations also called on the Federal Government to preserve the vision behind the establishment of the schools.
“We call on President Tinubu and the Federal Ministry of Education to intervene immediately.
These schools were created to promote national unity and should not be sacrificed for private gain,” one of the protesters stated.
The demonstrations, held simultaneously in Lagos, Abuja, and Kano, attracted alumni members, parents, and concerned citizens carrying placards demanding transparency and protection of public school property.
The protesters warned that they may escalate the matter to the National Assembly and relevant anti-corruption agencies if the alleged encroachment on unity school lands is not addressed promptly.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Federal Ministry of Education nor the Presidency had issued an official response to the allegations.
Federal Government Colleges, popularly known as unity schools, were established after the Nigerian Civil War to foster national integration by bringing students from diverse ethnic and religious backgrounds together under one educational system.
Written by Olusegun Haastrup