The Federal Government Girls’ College (FGGC), Ezzamgbo, Ebonyi State, has remained shut despite the Federal Government’s directive that all Federal Unity Colleges should reopen for the 2026/2027 academic session.
Parents and students who arrived at the Ezzamgbo college on Sunday were reportedly unable to gain access to the premises after workers’ union members enforced a directive suspending resumption.
The development has created uncertainty for families preparing for the new academic session, with the Federal Government and workers’ unions issuing conflicting instructions over the reopening of the schools.
The disagreement is linked to opposition by workers’ unions to the Federal Government’s proposed concession of King’s College, Lagos, and concerns that other Federal Unity Colleges could also be transferred to private investors.
The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) had directed workers in Federal Unity Colleges nationwide not to resume until further notice.
At FGGC Ezzamgbo, the union’s position was reflected in a notice issued to parents, advising them to keep their children at home pending further clarification.
The notice, signed by the Chairman of the ASCSN unit at the college, Dr Rachael Benson-Ogbu, simply stated: “No resumption till further notice.”
Parents were also advised to remain calm and avoid unnecessary trips to the school while awaiting official clarification.
The union’s position, however, conflicts with a directive from the Federal Ministry of Education ordering all Federal Unity Colleges to reopen.
In a circular dated September 11, 2026, and signed by the Director of the Senior Secondary Education Department, Adeniji Ibrahim, the ministry directed principals to disregard the suspension of resumption and ensure that the colleges reopened as scheduled.
According to the ministry, the communiqué directing schools to remain closed was unauthorised.
Principals were instructed to open the college gates, hostels, classrooms and administrative buildings on Sunday, September 13, to receive returning students, with academic activities scheduled to begin on Monday, September 14.
The ministry also directed both teaching and non-teaching staff to report for duty.
It further instructed school authorities to work with the police and Department of State Services (DSS) to maintain security around the colleges.
The Federal Ministry of Education warned that any individual or group that attempted to lock the schools, picket the premises or prevent students, parents or workers from gaining access should be reported to security agencies.
Officials who failed to comply with the reopening directive were also threatened with disciplinary action.
Despite the federal government’s position, ASCSN has maintained its opposition to the planned concession of King’s College and other Federal Unity Colleges.
In its September 10 communiqué, the union rejected any move to concession, sell or transfer the schools to private investors.
The workers argued that Federal Unity Colleges were established to promote national unity by providing Nigerian children from different backgrounds with access to common educational institutions.
ASCSN expressed concern that handing the colleges to private investors could make them less accessible to children from low-income households while also putting the jobs of thousands of workers at risk.
The union further argued that workers employed through the Federal Civil Service Commission could not simply be transferred to private organisations without regard to their employment conditions and the Public Service Rules.
It consequently directed that the colleges remain closed until the Minister of Education halts the proposed concession arrangement.
The Joint Congress of Unions of the Federal Ministry of Education also issued a separate communiqué announcing a nationwide suspension of resumption.
The workers’ committee said the action was aimed at protesting the proposed concession of King’s College and what it described as the Federal Government’s failure to adequately consult the unions.
The committee called on parents, guardians, community leaders, School-Based Management Committees and Parent-Teacher Associations to support the workers’ position.
The conflicting instructions have left parents uncertain about whether to return their children to the colleges or keep them at home.
One affected parent, Obinna Uchendu, described the situation as confusing, particularly for families who had already travelled to the school based on the Federal Government’s reopening directive.
“There was serious confusion. Different circulars were coming from the Federal Government and the union,” Uchendu said.
He explained that although the Federal Government directed parents to take their children back to school, those who arrived at the college could not gain access because the premises had been locked.
At FGGC Ezzamgbo, parents and students were consequently left stranded outside the school as the disagreement between the Federal Government and workers’ unions intensified.
The standoff could affect the commencement of the 2026/2027 academic session across Federal Unity Colleges if no resolution is reached.
For now, the Federal Government insists that the schools must reopen, while the workers’ unions maintain that resumption should remain suspended until their concerns over the proposed concession of King’s College and other Federal Unity Colleges are addressed.
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