• Joint unions shut down education ministry
• Old Boys: proposed concession to save school, pledge to double teachers’ salaries, keep school fees unchanged
• Unveil N100bn endowment fund
Sunday Ehigiator in Lagos and Kuni Tyessi in Abuja
King’s College Old Boys Association (KCOBA) yesterday dismissed claims that the federal government’s proposed concession arrangement for King’s College, Lagos, amounted to the sale or transfer of ownership of the institution, insisting that the initiative is aimed at rescuing and repositioning the over 100-year-old college.
The explanation came as the concessioning saga, which had triggered a protest by staff unions at the Federal Ministry of Education headquarters, entered its fourth day yesterday, with activities at the ministry grounded.
The unions also issued a strong warning to the federal government, threatening to shut down the ministry if the concession arrangement was not reversed.
The threat was made by the Joint Council, which represented four major staff unions in the ministry, namely Administrative Staff College of Nigeria Senior Staff Union (ASCSU); Organisation of Public Service Technical and Engineering Workers (OPTER); Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU); and National Union of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions Staff (NOBSTUCK).
President of KCOBA, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, said the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had resolved that the management of the college should be handed over to the Old Boys on a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) basis, stressing that the arrangement does not amount to a sale.
Ibrahim-Imam, who addressed journalists on the controversy surrounding the proposed arrangement yesterday at the premises of the school, said, “We came to address the press on the most topical issue of the Old Boys taking over the management of King’s College, Lagos.
“As you are aware, FEC met and resolved that the management of King’s College, Lagos, should be handed over to the Old Boys on a PPP basis. Now, PPP does not in any way signify a sale of the school to the Old Boys.”
According to him, “The federal government is not selling King’s College to anybody. Also, the Old Boys are not interested in buying King’s College.”
He said the Old Boys’ primary contribution to the institution over the years had been the development of infrastructure across its two campuses.
Ibrahim-Imam said the proposed management arrangement was driven by concerns over the deteriorating condition of the college’s facilities and the need to restore its standards.
He stated, “My own personal aspiration is very modest, to take back, not even to take the school forward, to where I met it as a student. Now, all the facilities are dilapidated, understandably so, because King’s College is more than 100 years old.
“These facilities, both on the main campus as well as at the annex, the Victoria Island campus, are in a grave state of disrepair. The objective of the Old Boys is to fix the college. We are on a rescue mission.”
The KCOBA president also moved to allay concerns among parents over the cost of education, assuring them that the association has no plan to increase school fees as a result of the proposed arrangement.
He said, “There has also been a lot of what I consider to be disinformation, especially concerning the payment of school fees. At no time did the Old Boys imply that we are going to increase school fees. Our objective is to develop the college.”
He also pledged improved remuneration for teachers who choose to remain at the institution under the new management arrangement.
He said, “I also want to assure the teachers, and we’ve said this repeatedly, for those who will elect to remain as teachers in King’s College who will double their salaries and allowances. The Old Boys have made this commitment in order to motivate the teachers to work harder.”
He explained that teachers who did not wish to remain under the proposed PPP arrangement would not be left stranded, as they remained employees of the Federal Ministry of Education.
Ibrahim-Imam explained, “Those who may choose to leave, they are staff of the Federal Ministry of Education. The minister has indicated his willingness to transfer those who don’t want to remain under the PPP arrangement.”
He listed Federal Government College, Ijanikin, and Queen’s College among the institutions to which such teachers could be transferred.
Ibrahim-Imam also expressed concern over the disruption of academic activities at the college, saying the current controversy has affected thousands of students.
“You must have noticed also the fact that there are about 2,500 students currently in King’s College, Lagos,” he added.
He questioned the extent to which a relatively small number of protesting parents could speak for the entire student population.
He said, “Those calling themselves parents, you must have seen them, they do not number up to 100. So, I wonder how they can speak for a population of 2,500 students.”
In its detailed statement, KCOBA said the controversy was fuelled by concerns and allegations surrounding the proposed change in the management structure of the institution.
The association declared, “King’s College is not being sold. There is no sale. There is no transfer of ownership to KCOBA. The College remains, today and always, a public national institution.”
It said what was changing was, “not who owns King’s College, but the framework through which it is managed, maintained, financed, modernised and developed.
“We are not acquiring King’s College. King’s College Is Not for Sale. We are returning to serve it, to help manage, support and rebuild the institution that shaped generations of Nigerians.”
KCOBA said its proposed intervention was necessitated by serious challenges facing the college, including deteriorating infrastructure, admissions concerns, student welfare, discipline, and the need for modern technology.
The association alleged that there had been an “established admission racketeering” in the past, in which affluent parents allegedly made monetary payments to secure admissions.
It alleged that some students admitted under state quotas were from other states, resulting in what it described as “over-admissions.”
According to the statement, “At a time there were over 3800 students in King’s College whose carrying capacity should not be more than 1200 students.”
KCOBA said the situation had placed excessive pressure on school facilities and affected the monitoring and discipline of students.
The association also raised concerns over the conditions of some buildings and facilities, alleging that parts of the college has deteriorated to the point where their structural integrity raised safety concerns.
It also cited cases involving substance or drug abuse among students, as well as reports of students allegedly asking for money on campus because they were hungry.
“A rescue mission begins with the courage to name the problem plainly,” the statement said.
On the proposed concession, KCOBA said, “The purpose of the proposed management arrangement is simple: to build the capacity to restore, operate, maintain and develop King’s College professionally and sustainably. We are not coming to take King’s College. We are coming to help save it.”
The association said the arrangement would operate on a not-for-profit basis, with the focus on ensuring that resources were deployed to education and student welfare rather than personal enrichment.
KCOBA also disclosed plans to raise a N100 billion endowment fund to support scholarships for indigent students.
The association stated, “We have embarked on a N100,000,000,000 Endowment fund raise exercise so that scholarships would be provided for indigent students and we have committed to ensure that the current spend of parents on the King’s College Students enrolled in the school would not be increased.”
It said the proposed transformation would include the renovation of buildings, modern laboratories and libraries, digital systems, scholarships, teacher development and world-class sporting facilities.
KCOBA said teachers and non-academic staff would remain central to the planned transformation, promising to prioritise their welfare and professional development.
The association said its relationship with King’s College long predated the current controversy, stating that Old Boys has historically supported the institution through scholarships, infrastructure projects, welfare interventions, and emergency assistance.
It recalled its intervention during a diphtheria outbreak at the college, saying Old Boys mobilised support and worked with other stakeholders to address the situation.
The statement also defended the decision to support the federal government’s proposed management arrangement, citing previous experiences involving mission schools in Lagos State.
Ibrahim-Imam said, “When the president leaves here, please, I want to advise that St. Gregory’s College is not too far from here. You should visit St. Gregory’s College.”
He said the Old Boys’ objective was to replicate such improvements at King’s College while preserving its public character.
The association called on parents, teachers, unions and other stakeholders to engage with the process, insisting that students should not become victims of the disagreement among adults.
“Our students must never become pawns in adult disagreements,” KCOBA said.
It urged stakeholders to ensure that academic activities continued without disruption, adding, “Whatever our disagreements as adults, the classroom must remain sacred and protected ground.”
KCOBA said it was prepared to subject its proposed management model to scrutiny, promising transparency in procurement and accountability for every naira entrusted to the institution.
it said, “We do not ask to be trusted simply because we are Old Boys. Trust must be earned, deliberately and continuously.”
The association added, “We commit to transparency in procurement, accountability for every naira entrusted to the institution, openness to scrutiny, and a willingness to publish our progress for all to see.”
KCOBA maintained that its ultimate objective was to preserve the legacy of King’s College and ensure that future generations of Nigerians continued to benefit from the institution.
Meanwhile, staff unions grounded activities at the Federal Ministry of Education headquarters yesterday, with a strong warning to the federal government.
The threat was made by the Joint Council, representing four major staff unions in the ministry, namely, ASCSU, OPTER, NCSU and NOBSTUCK.
The Joint Union said Monday’s meeting between the minister, Dr. Tunji Alausa, and leaders of Trade Union Congress (TUC) without representatives of the union remained null and void.
Speaking to newsmen at the ministry’s entrance yesterday, Joint Council Chairman, Onukhe Abraham, appreciated President Bola Tinubu for approving a waiver to employ over 3,000 PTA staff across federal unity schools.
The unions described the approval as a welcome development that will address manpower shortages in schools.
However, the unions expressed concerns over the implementation of the new employment in light of the ministry’s recent circular on Kings College, Lagos.
The circular, according to the chairman, directed teachers who could not remain at Kings College due to “concessioning” to seek posting to other schools in Lagos State.
According to the council, the directive raises questions about job security.
It said, “If Mr. President has approved employment of 3000 plus PTA staff, then where will the new staff work if existing teachers are being displaced from Kings College?”
The Joint Council issued a clear ultimatum saying, “If there is no reversal to the concessioning, there will be no resumption in all the unity schools in the country and the headquarters will be shut down.
“That school is one of the assets Nigeria has and it must not go that way. None of the coordinators of all the unity schools is happy with that decision because we spoke with them yesterday.
“TUC is not part of this issue. They have never come here for one day to dialogue with us. None of them since we were protesting has ever come to meet with us. But they went for a meeting through the back to meet with the minister. While they told us they will have a meeting with us for 3 o’clock on Monday, only for us to hear in the evening that they had a meeting with the minister. That meeting remains null and void.”
Beyond Kings College, the Joint Council listed other unresolved issues affecting staff welfare. They included the stagnation of Education Officers, delays in promotions, and welfare concerns that had lingered for years without resolution.
The council also raised alarm over two new issues, namely the concessioning policy for federal unity schools and the land swap matter at Federal Government College, Kano, and Suleja Academy school of the gifted in Niger State. They said both issues had added to tension among staff who felt their jobs and assets were under threat.
Another major grievance was the lack of response from the minister as the Joint Council revealed with evidence of acknowledgement copy that it had written a letter to the minister on July 6 requesting an audience to discuss the matters, but had received no reply for over two months.
Describing the silence as unacceptable, the unions said workers were frustrated that critical issues affecting thousands of staff were being ignored at the highest level of the ministry. They warned that continued neglect could worsen industrial relations in the education sector.
The unions said they remained open to dialogue but expected immediate action from the minister and the federal government to address their demands.
Chairman of Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria at the ministry, Ngadi Sampson Chigozie, raised concerns over threats to life while notifying of the presence and involvement of the DSS in their peaceful protest.