On Monday, July 29, a lingering crisis between the leadership and staff of the Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka, Lagos, degenerated into violence, causing pandemonium on campus.
Some protesting staff members and students reportedly vandalised vehicles belonging to members of the college’s governing council, who narrowly escaped being physically assaulted.
Saturday PUNCH gathered that a team set up by the Minister of Education from Abuja had arrived at the FCE that day to mediate in the controversy, which trailed the tenure of the college’s immediate former provost, Dr Wahab Azeez, when the violence broke out.
To quell the riot and restore normalcy, the Lagos State Police Command revealed that it arrested 32 suspects, who allegedly attacked the Federal Government’s inspection team.
In two viral video clips seen by our correspondent on X (formerly Twitter), irate students and workers could be seen damaging cars believed to belong to the council officials, and policemen could also be seen firing tear gas canisters to disperse the protesters within the campus.
Some aggrieved students and staff claimed their protests were in response to poor campus welfare, alleged misappropriation of funds, and the unlawful stay in office by the provost.
Following the violence on Monday, the college’s governing council initiated a probe to determine the circumstances surrounding the students’ rampage and ordered an indefinite closure of the college pending when the investigation is concluded.
The embattled provost, Azeez, said the protesting students were incited by staff members, who were eyeing his position and planned to frustrate him out of office.
However, the FCE’s governing council has ordered Azeez to step aside and announced the appointment of Dr Isaac Miller as the acting provost.
Our correspondent learnt that Azeez assumed office as the 12th provost for a four-year tenure in May 2019, and had his tenure renewed for another four years in May 2023.
However, before the expiration of his first tenure, the Federal Colleges of Education Act was amended in 2023, stipulating a single, non-renewable term of five years for provosts of Federal Colleges of Education.
The root cause
Since May 27, a protest has been championed by workers under the umbrella of ‘Concerned Staff’ led by the Senior Staff Union of Colleges of Education, FCET chapter.
The workers insisted that with the amendment of the Educational Colleges Act 2023, the tenure of Dr Azeez ended on May 26, 2024.
The protesting workers reportedly locked up Azeez’s office and issued him a notice to quit his official residence due to the expiration of his tenure.
Joining the college staff on May 27 and 28, students also protested the dilapidated infrastructure on their campus and the alleged unlawful stay in office of the provost.
Our correspondent gathered that the protesting staff members marched through the college, singing solidarity songs and carrying placards with different inscriptions like ‘President Bola Ahmed Tinubu your authority and assented law have been usurped by Azeez and other authorities,’ ‘Let the new act take its hold in Akoka’, ‘Leaders who seek only power and control will end up losing both’, among many others.
Quoting Section 13 (7a) and (b) of the new Educational Colleges Act signed by President Bola Tinubu, the Deputy Registrar, Christopher Olamiju, told Saturday PUNCH that the provost’s tenure ended on May 26, 2024.
According to him, Azeez assumed office on May 26, 2019, and has completed five years in office.
Olamiju stated, “If on the commencement of this section, a provost appointed before the commencement of this Act has held office for (a) less than five years, the provost shall be deemed to be serving the five-year single term and shall not have the right for the renewal of his appointment for a further term of four years;
“(b) More than five years and serving the second term of office be deemed to be serving the last term of office without any further extension.”
He added that the protest was a result of the misinterpretation of the act by the Ministry of Education, which was meant to support the provost’s stay in office.
The Assistant Deputy Bursar, Nicolas Ogbusuo, also said the staff at FCET was protesting the renewal of Azeez’s appointment, adding that an acting provost was supposed to have been appointed pending a new appointment.
“We are protesting the renewal of the provost’s appointment. The new law stated that tenure is limited to five years. Despite the law, the provost claims to have a letter from the ministry granting him an additional five years, which we know cannot supersede the law,” he stated.
The Principal Assistant Registrar, Austin Nwachukwu, explained that the staff rejected the ministry’s interpretation of the act, which allowed Azeez to stay beyond five years, and demanded his removal, citing the college’s deteriorating state and their desire for new leadership.
Azeez responds
In response to the agitation, Azeez said his tenure, which commenced on May 26, 2023, had been duly authorised and confirmed by the Federal Ministry of Education.
He said, “My tenure, which commenced on May 26, 2023, was authorised and confirmed by the Federal Ministry of Education. This clarification is in line with the new law signed by the President on June 12, 2023.
“The ministry clearly stated that any provost appointed before the new law took effect should complete their four-year term. Despite this, some individuals are attempting to misinterpret the law and disrupt the smooth operation of the college.
“I want to emphasise that any grievances or concerns should be addressed through the proper channels and due process, as outlined by the Federal Government and the college’s supervisory agency, the Federal Ministry of Education.
“Any attempts to protest or disrupt the college’s activities without substance or following the rule of law will not be tolerated, as the government has mechanisms in place to address such situations and maintain order.”
The Ministry of Education’s Legal Unit, in a statement issued on May 23, 2024, stated that provosts, who had not completed their first four-year term before the Act’s enactment, would have an additional year to make it a five-year term, with no option for renewal.
For provosts re-appointed for a second four-year term before the Act’s commencement, this term will be their final one, and they will not transition to a five-year term.
Responding to Azeez’s allegation that the activities of the ‘Concerned Staff’ disrupted the smooth running of the institution, Olamiju claimed his tenure took the college 10 years backwards.
“The workers’ unions are concerned about this issue and we are soliciting his removal. We need an acting provost pending when the authorities will appoint a substantive provost.
“It is worthy to note that the same law caught up with the college’s bursar, librarian, and registrar, who observed the law and exited office without any problems. Those currently in that position are in an acting capacity,” he added.
Students lament
Speaking on the decrepit state of hostels in the institution, a student, who gave his name as Wale, told Saturday PUNCH, “The state of our hostels is poor. Our learning facilities too are an eyesore. Don’t let me start talking about our medical care. You are on your own if you fall sick.
“They release our results too late, and even graduates are saying they are not being issued certificates. The blame goes to the college management. They are not doing their jobs. Nothing is functional in the school.”
Another student, who preferred to be called Wura, said, “We are tired of this management; we want them out. Our hostels look like pigsties and it’s unacceptable. The governing council had given the management an ultimatum of one month to upgrade the school’s infrastructure but we are not giving them any chance to extend their stay. They should leave.”
Similarly, an official of the students’ union body, who preferred to remain anonymous to avoid victimisation, demanded an improvement in the medical condition of the school.
“The medical facilities cannot even offer common paracetamol,” he added.
In a phone interview with Saturday PUNCH, Azeez insisted that the protesting students were instigated.
“Those students were instigated by staff members eyeing my position. For the past five years since I was appointed as the provost, I’ve never had an issue with students because I was a former student union leader and I know what the students want,” he said.
The provost added that the protesting students were being used because they “have no business whatsoever in the tenure of the management and they have no say in who becomes the provost.”
According to him, some college staff were partly responsible for the poor state of the school after they refused to allow “the college to operate.”
“They didn’t allow any administrative work to take place. They send the cleaners away from the hostel.”
Police intervene
On Monday evening, an X user, @TomisinWhyte, wrote, “Emergency alert. There are reports of police shooting and tear gas being used on students at Akoka Road. This is happening during ongoing protests. Please help spread the word.”
Sharing a WhatsApp chat, the user posted a message from an unidentified individual, who alleged that policemen were throwing tear gas canisters and shooting at students.
It read, “I’m presently in the school. The police here are like 50, shooting and throwing tear gas directly at students. Students are fainting and even the hostels are not safe. Some students have fainted inside the hostel because of the tear gas. Please, if you have the right channel, let us tweet.”
In two video clips posted by the same X user, several students could be seen being dispersed as tear gas canisters were thrown at them.
An agitated voice in the background lamented that a student was bleeding and urged his colleagues to rush him to a medical centre.
Responding to the X user, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, wrote, “For over three months, staff of the Federal College of Education (Technical), Akoka, locked out their provost, depriving him of the use of his office.
“A team set up by the Minister of Education arrived at the school today to mediate the ongoing impasse. However, staff of the college, aided by students, attacked the team from Abuja, damaging over five vehicles and the provost’s official quarters.
“Not done, the rioting staff and students also blocked all entrances in and out of the college. The police arrived at the scene and restored normalcy after being attacked with stones and sachets of water by the rioters.
“Meanwhile, 32 suspects have been arrested while men of the Nigeria Police Force from Area Command, Surulere, remain on the ground to ensure that the restored peace remains intact.”
In one of his replies, Hundeyin added, “Which came first, the destruction, or the tear gas? Trust me, if the tear gas came first, they wouldn’t have been able to see clearly enough to cause this level of damage. The tear gas saved the school from more destruction. It was the least harmful way to disperse them.”
Acting provost announced
Meanwhile, Azeez disclosed in an interview that the governing council had initiated an investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the students’ violent rampage that led to destruction of property.
He said, “The college has been shut because of the violent rampage of the students on Monday. The council is still on the ground. They will decide what line of action to take about the incident.
“The rampage has to be probed because they need to know the immediate and remote causes of the crisis that led to the vandalisation of college property and facilities.
“They (the governing council) came to have the inaugural meeting of the council. Since the council was inaugurated, the college also elected its six members.”
In a notice signed by the Registrar of FCE(T), Rasheed Dada, on behalf of the governing council on Wednesday, Azeez was ordered to step aside from the office.
The memo stated, “This is to inform the college community that at the inaugural meeting of the eighth Governing Council of the College on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, the Council directed that Dr Wahab Ademola Azeez, should step aside from office as the Provost of the College with effect from 31 July 2024.
“Sequel to the above, the Council of the same meeting unanimously resolved to appoint Dr Isaac Oluwatoyin Miller as the Acting Provost with immediate effect.”
