,Former Nigerian Bar Association President, Olumide Akpata, has dismissed claims that King’s College, Lagos, has been sold to its Old Boys’ Association. He insisted that the school remains a public institution and clarified that there has been no King’s College concession.
According to Arise News, Akpata made the clarification while discussing the Federal Government’s concession agreement with the King’s College Old Boys’ Association, KCOBA. This was amid concerns from parents, workers and other stakeholders.
“King’s College has not been sold. We have not bought the school. The school has not been offered to us. We are not interested in buying our school,” Akpata said.
He described the institution as the “nourishing mother” of its former students. He argued that the old boys could not stand by while the 117-year-old school continued to deteriorate.
KCOBA targets N100bn for King’s College
Akpata revealed that members of the old boys’ community were prepared to raise N100 billion to rehabilitate the institution. They also wanted to improve the quality of education available to students.
“Yes, we have our old boys community ready to put together this fund, 100 billion naira. The commitments are on the table,” he said.
He added that contributors had been waiting for the concession agreement to be executed before releasing funds. Moreover, he said financial commitments were already beginning to come in.
Akpata said KCOBA had spent billions of naira supporting King’s College over the years, including renovating buildings, developing sports facilities, providing generators, establishing an ICT laboratory and equipping facilities for visually impaired students.
He, however, said many of the facilities deteriorated after rehabilitation because of poor maintenance. This prompted the association to seek a more formal arrangement with the Federal Government.
Old boys seek formal role in school’s rehabilitation
According to Akpata, KCOBA approached the government because it believed its previous interventions were no longer sufficient to address the scale of the problems confronting the school.
“We know you have a lot on your plate, We are ready to help, We have been helping, We have demonstrated capacity,” he said.
He explained that the association intends to upgrade infrastructure, boarding facilities and the overall learning environment. Their aim is to provide students with what he described as a world-class educational experience.
Akpata painted a bleak picture of the institution’s present condition. He said journalists who recently toured parts of the school were shocked by the deterioration.
“You would not want to take your boys to that school today,” he said.
The Federal Government has also maintained that the concession does not amount to a sale or privatisation of King’s College. Under the arrangement, the government retains legal ownership. Meanwhile, KCOBA is expected to finance, rehabilitate, modernise, operate and maintain the institution.
The controversy has triggered protests from some parents and education workers. The Federal Government subsequently agreed to suspend implementation of the concession for two weeks while further discussions with stakeholders continue.
