FGC Kano alumni drag FG, ICRC, developer to court over land concession

The Federal Government College Kano Old Students Association (FGCKOSA) has sued the Federal Government and others over a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement allegedly involving the conversion of part of the Federal Government College (FGC), Kano land for private development.

The suit, filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, has been assigned to Justice Inyang Ekwo and is scheduled for its first hearing on July 8.

Named as defendants in the case are the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Minister of Education, Pluck Global Company Limited, the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).

FGCKOSA said the AGF was joined in the suit because the matter raises constitutional and legal questions concerning the management of public assets, the authority of federal ministries over public land, and the legality of the concession arrangement affecting a federal educational institution.

At the centre of the dispute is whether land belonging to a Federal Government school and reserved for educational purposes can legally be converted into private property and transferred to a private developer under a PPP or concession agreement.

According to the association, it is seeking judicial clarification on the powers and responsibilities of the Federal Ministry of Education, the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, the Federal Executive Council, the ICRC, and Pluck Global Company Limited in relation to the disputed land.

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FGCKOSA alleged that attempts to obtain details of the transaction through official channels has been unsuccessful.

The association claimed that requests made to the Ministry of Education and the ICRC for copies of the concession agreement and related approval documents were not fully addressed.

The alumni body further claimed that while the ICRC reportedly confirmed that the Ministry of Education served as the contracting authority in the transaction, critical documents relating to approvals, valuation, procurement procedures, and the legal basis of the arrangement have not been made public.

The association alleged that despite an existing court order obtained in Kano restraining activities on the disputed land, individuals linked to the project were recently seen entering the school premises and marking sections of the property.

FGCKOSA described the development as an attempt to advance the project while legal proceedings are ongoing, expressing concern that reports of possible relocation or reconstruction of some school facilities outside the concession area could further affect the institution.

The association disclosed that it has proposed an alternative alumni-driven redevelopment plan aimed at improving infrastructure, attracting grants and corporate support, enhancing academic standards, and preserving the school’s land strictly for educational use.

Among the reliefs sought in the suit are declarations that the land cannot be converted into private property under the guise of a PPP arrangement, orders nullifying any concession or transfer found to be unlawful, and a perpetual injunction restraining all parties from further dealings or development on the land pending the court’s determination