• Says concession will block leakages, ensure sustainable growth
•KCOB plans N100bn investment in 117-year-old institution
•Association targets visible transformation within three years
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
A member of the King’s College Old Boys’ Association (KCOB) and former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Olumide Akpata, has clarified that the federal government has not sold the 117-year-old King’s College, Lagos, to the old boys’ association.
Akpata, who spoke on Arise Television amid opposition from education unions and other stakeholders to the concession of the unity school to KCOB, said the association was seeking to restore the institution through a planned N100 billion investment in its infrastructure and learning environment.
He stressed that the old boys were not acquiring ownership of the school, but were seeking a formal arrangement with the federal government to sustain interventions they had made over the years.
“King’s College has not been sold. We have not bought the school, the school has not been offered to us, and we are not interested in buying our school. The expression Alma Mater is a Latin expression which literally translates to ‘nourishing mother.’
“You must understand that this school is our mother, and no son will sit idly by and watch his mother deteriorate in such a dastardly manner,” he maintained.
Akpata said KCOB had already invested billions of naira in the school over the years, including the renovation of buildings, improvement of sports facilities, installation of generators, ICT laboratories and a library equipped for visually impaired students.
He, however, said the interventions had not been sustained because of what he described as a lack of maintenance culture, making it necessary for the old boys to seek a more formal arrangement with the government.
“Yes, we have our old boy community ready to put together these funds, the N100 billion. The commitments are on the table. They have waited for the concession agreement, which has now been executed, and the monies are rolling in,” he said.
Explaining the rationale for the concession, Akpata said the federal government continues to face several competing demands, making the management of secondary schools less likely to receive the attention required.
He said KCOB had therefore approached the government with a proposal to formalise its longstanding interventions and mobilise resources to upgrade the school.
“So when we went to the government, we said, ‘We know you have a lot on your plate. We are ready to help. We have been helping, and we have demonstrated capacity. Going forward, can we formalise this engagement?’
“We are going to raise money to make sure that we upgrade infrastructure. We are going to raise money to make sure that the learning experience of our boys will be top-notch, world-class. We have the money, but we wanted a more formalised arrangement,” he said.
On concerns raised by teachers, parents and other stakeholders, Akpata said he understood the apprehension surrounding the arrangement but maintained that discussions remained open.
He said the Federal Ministry of Education had engaged the unions during the process, adding that KCOB was prepared to continue discussions with teachers, parents and other stakeholders.
“With regard to the fears expressed by some of the stakeholders, the teachers, the Parents Teachers Associations, as far as I know, there was engagement with the unions by the federal ministry in the course of this process.
“I don’t think the door has been shut on conversations and engagement. We are ready to continue the conversation. We are ready to talk to the stakeholders so that they can hear from us,” he assured.
Akpata also addressed allegations of admission racketeering and the imposition of multiple levies at the school, saying although he had not personally witnessed such practices, he had heard the allegations repeatedly.
“I have heard these allegations. I cannot put my hand to heart and tell you that I have witnessed anything of the sort, but we have heard these stories so many times. Not only have we heard about admission racketeering, we have also heard about parents being made to pay all types of levies just to keep their boys in the school,” he said.
According to him, such practices, if established, were among the leakages the concession was designed to eliminate.
“These are the leakages that we intend to block. There is no doubt that if indeed there are persons who have been benefiting from the dysfunction, obviously they will be upset to hear that this concession is going through, because their gravy train has essentially been taken away from them. But all of that will stop. All of that must stop,” he said.
Akpata said KCOB expected the school to begin showing visible improvements within three years, while maintaining that the concession agreement imposed strict obligations on the association concerning access, inclusivity and fees.
“It is a marathon, not a sprint, but we are committed. The concession agreement holds us to a very high standard. These schools were established based on underpinning principles: inclusivity, unfettered access, not charging arbitrary fees,” he said.
He added that failure to comply with the provisions of the agreement could result in KCOB losing the concession.
“There are things in that agreement that we will be held to, and in the event that we do not keep to those principles, upon review, we could get kicked out. So we must stay true; we must pay fidelity to those provisions in the agreement.
“How long will it take? I think in the next couple of years, in three years maximum, you will begin to see a turnaround. Government College Ibadan has done it. Give us another couple of years, three years, and you will see a total transformation,” he said.
Akpata maintained that the arrangement was not commercially driven, saying the objective was to restore King’s College to the standards envisaged by its founders.
“There is no profit motive here; it is all altruistic. We want to look after our mother. We want to make sure that the products of King’s College are those that were envisaged by the founding fathers: leaders who will continue to steer the ship of our nation ahead. That is what the school was set up for, and that is what we want to return it to,” he pointed out.