Workers of the Federal Ministry of Education on Wednesday barricaded the entrance to the ministry’s headquarters, preventing the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, and the Acting Permanent Secretary, Dr Folake Olatunji-David, from accessing their offices.
The workers gathered at the entrance of the ministry as a motorcade reportedly conveying the minister arrived at the premises.
In a video circulating on social media, the protesters could be heard chanting, “Alausa must go,” while preventing vehicles from gaining access to the ministry’s premises.
The protest is coming amid an unresolved dispute between the ministry’s management, workers’ unions and the Federal Government over the proposed concession of King’s College, Lagos.
The unions have opposed the reported 35-year concession of the school to its old boys’ association, raising concerns about the implications of the arrangement.
The workers have also demanded the removal of the minister, alongside complaints relating to staff welfare and other administrative matters within the ministry.
The latest action suggests that the disagreements between the workers and the ministry’s management remain unresolved despite previous engagements aimed at addressing the issues.
The development has further heightened tensions at the ministry as the unions continue to press their demands over the King’s College concession and other concerns affecting workers.