Ex-principals reject King’s College handover to old boys

Former principals of King’s College, Lagos, have rejected the Federal Government’s concession of the college to the King’s College Old Boys’ Association, urging the government to suspend the arrangement and retain responsibility for the institution.

The former school heads, under the Forum of Former Principals of King’s College, said the Federal Government should instead develop a comprehensive master plan for the 117-year-old institution and allow the old boys and other stakeholders to support its development without taking over its administration.

The forum, in a statement on Wednesday, signed by seven former principals and acting principals, said the decision to stop government funding and transfer the day-to-day running of the college to a private body was “inconceivable.”

The statement, made available to The PUNCH on Wednesday, was signed by ex-principals including Dr S. A. B. Atolagbe, Sylvester Onoja, Yetunde Awofuwa, Oladele Olapeju, Elizabeth Ibezim, Dr Isaac Kolawole and Samuel Agun, named as chairman of the forum.

The statement read, “A system under which the Federal Government ceases to fund the daily operations and infrastructural development of King’s College would amount to an abandonment of one of its critical social responsibilities: the education and development of the nation’s future human capital.

“Transferring the day-to-day administration, funding, and provision of infrastructure to a private corporate body could, in practical terms, transform a Federal Government College into a privately controlled institution.”

Boasting of first-hand knowledge of the challenges confronting the college, the ex-principals said it was still possible to work with the available resources to maintain the standards and traditions of the college.

They described as “extreme and inconceivable” the government taking the option of handing over the management of the day-to-day running of the college to a “private body,” instead of addressing the deficiencies of the college.

Rather than hand over to the old boys, they urged the Federal Government to adopt the established public-sector model for the systematic development of the college.

The former principals argued that the Federal Government should first establish what was required to develop the college before determining how the institution would be managed.

They said, “In our mind, any genuine programme for the rejuvenation and sustainable development of King’s College should begin with the preparation of a comprehensive Development Master Plan by the Federal Ministry of Education to set out clear, achievable and measurable objectives within specified timeframes.”

They said the master plan would cover hostels, staff quarters, classrooms, laboratories, workshops, teaching and learning resources, recreational facilities, water, electricity, sanitation and healthcare.

The plan, they said, should also address staff recruitment, welfare, training and professional development, as well as the preservation of the college’s historic buildings, traditions and institutional character.

The forum added that the plan should contain projected costs, funding sources, implementation schedules and accountability mechanisms and be subjected to consultation with relevant stakeholders.

Those to be consulted, according to the former principals, should include KCOBA, the Parent-Teacher Association, educationists, town-planning and infrastructure experts, philanthropists, public-service unions and civil-society organisations.

They said such an approach would ensure “transparency, professional input, broad ownership and accountability” in the development of the institution.

The former principals, however, expressed concern that the current concession arrangement had put the process in reverse order.

“Regrettably, the current concession arrangement appears to have reversed this established process — effectively placing the cart before the horse,” they said.

“Instead of the Federal Government first determining the developmental needs and future direction of its institution through a comprehensive Master Plan, KCOBA has offered to prepare and implement a plan, apparently on the condition that it assumes responsibility for the day-to-day administration of the college.”

The forum also raised concerns over the proposed withdrawal of government funding, arguing that such a move would transfer a fundamental government responsibility to a private body.

“The Federal Government should retain full public ownership, funding and administrative responsibility for King’s College, while enabling KCOBA, the PTA, corporate organisations, philanthropists and other partners to contribute through a transparent development fund and a broad-based advisory council,” they maintained.

It acknowledged KCOBA’s contributions to the college, alongside those of the PTA, class sets, philanthropists and other individuals and organisations.

However, it drew a distinction between supporting the college and assuming control of its administration.

“However, supporting King’s College is fundamentally different from assuming complete responsibility for its day-to-day administration, funding, and control,” the forum said.

“The willingness of stakeholders to assist the college should complement — not replace — the federal government’s constitutional, financial, and administrative responsibilities.”

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The former principals also warned that transferring the administration, funding and provision of infrastructure to a private corporate body could affect access to the college.

They listed possible consequences as higher school fees and associated charges, reduced access for children from low-income families, disruption of established public-service structures, weakened government accountability and erosion of the college’s national and inclusive character.

They further warned against what they described as the gradual transformation of the institution into a school accessible mainly to wealthy families.

The forum said the provision of accessible and affordable public education remained a responsibility of government, citing Section 18 of the 1999 Constitution.

It argued that the government’s obligation to provide educational opportunities should be strengthened rather than transferred to a private organisation.

The former principals consequently demanded the immediate suspension of the concession arrangement between the Federal Government and KCOBA pending comprehensive stakeholder consultation and an independent review.

They proposed a partnership model under which KCOBA and other interested organisations could voluntarily support the development of the college without taking over its administration.

The forum urged the government to retain full public ownership, funding and administrative responsibility for King’s College, while allowing KCOBA, the PTA, corporate organisations, philanthropists and other partners to contribute through a transparent development fund and broad-based advisory council.

They noted that the problems facing the institution were not caused by its civil servants, stressing that the government should address the deficiencies without dismantling the existing public structure.

They said, “We have first-hand knowledge, more than anyone else, of the level of deficiencies, inadequacies and other shortcomings in infrastructure, teaching resources and overstretched utility services with which we worked.

“It is gratifying to note that so far, in all the issues surrounding the concession, we have not heard that the problem is with the general day-to-day running of the college by the dedicated and hard-working staff of core civil servants.”

It also called for independent audits, periodic public reports and transparent procurement procedures for funds and projects undertaken on behalf of the college.

The former principals said equitable access to the institution should also be protected.

They urged the government to ensure that no Nigerian child was excluded from King’s College on the basis of family income, social status, ethnicity, religion or place of origin.

The forum said KCOBA should be recognised as “a valued guardian, benefactor, and development partner” rather than a substitute for the Federal Government.

“Any investment voluntarily made by KCOBA or another organisation should be transparent, properly documented, and free from conditions that would transfer the ownership, administration, or essential public character of the college,” they said.

The former principals stressed that King’s College belonged to its students, parents, teachers, former principals and old boys, but ultimately belonged to Nigeria.

“It must remain a publicly funded, nationally representative, and accessible institution — preserving its proud heritage while being modernised through transparent planning, professional management, and inclusive partnership,” they said.

It said King’s College was more than an ordinary secondary school, describing it as a national heritage institution established in 1909 that had contributed to academic excellence, social mobility, leadership and national integration.

“King’s College is not merely another secondary school,” the former principals said.

They argued that the public character of the institution had enabled students from different ethnic, religious, geographical and socio-economic backgrounds to study together.

The forum said the character of the institution must be preserved as the government sought ways to modernise it.

After an about two-week impasse over the King’s College concession, the Unity Colleges staff only on Wednesday suspended its nationwide strike, paving the way for the reopening of the 115 Federal Unity Colleges nationwide.

The staff union, under the aegis of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, resolved to suspend the industrial action to allow a seven-member committee set up by the Federal Government to review the concession document for King’s College.