By Emmanuel Kanayo
There was palpable tension at the Federal Government College, Rumuokoro, Port Harcourt on Monday as teachers, under the aegis of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, and parents of students shut down the school over the Federal Government's alleged plan to concede all Unity Schools to their Old Students Associations.
The protest disrupted the resumption of the 2026/2027 first-term academic session, as students who arrived for resumption were turned back at the gate.
Chairman of the Parents-Teachers Association, Mr. Matthew Abbah, who spoke during the protest, said the plan is a subtle attempt to privatise the college and would deny less-privileged children access to quality education.
According to him, old students can support the development of the institution without taking full control of its management.
He appealed to President Bola Tinubu and Senate President Godswill Akpabio to intervene and reverse the decision in the interest of students.
Abbah insisted that parents and teachers would remain at the school gate until the Federal Government rescinds the decision.
Also speaking, a parent, Mr. Bright Wosu, faulted the move and called for urgent government action to save the Unity School system from collapse.
