That the Federal Ministry of Education signed a concession agreement with the Old Boys Association of King’s College, Lagos to run the school for 50 years is not news, but the manner all other 116 unity colleges have been shut for weeks over the issue has become a matter of asking what the issue really is?
There are 117 unity colleges across the country, four of which are in Lagos State, but parents’ antagonism against the concession is hinged on a number of factors, our correspondent gathered even as it is clear that the school appears to have been run down.
The factors can be termed “fears” that the parents feel are real, reports Saturday Vanguard.
On the other hand, the concessionaire are of the view that they have taken adequate steps to take care of the fears. While the Federal Ministry of Education, FME, is also giving the impression that there is nothing to fear.
Our fears – Parents
The Parent Teacher Association, PTA, of Unity Colleges in the Southwest, led by Mr Ayopo Somefun, supported by his colleagues across the country, expressed the fears of the parents to include:
Introduction of outrageous fee regime:
According to them, examples abound of where public schools were returned to private owners and the next thing was that the schools became elitist. They cited some schools returned by the Lagos State government, incidentally when Asiwaju Bola Tinubu was Governor, to missions and the fees were hiked astronomically. They mentioned instances where parents are now paying close to a million naira per term. Unity college students pay barely N100,000 annually.
Elitist nature will rubbish Federal Character Principles:
The parents are also of the view that when the new operators come in, and the school is turned to an elitist one, children from across the country would not be able to attend again. The admission could be skewed in favour of the big guys in the society.
Old Boys should support the college not run in:
Another point being raised by the parents is that old students are not supposed to take over their alma mater but to support same with facilities, endowment, scholarships among others. They argue that if those who graduated before them had taken over the college, probably many of them would not have had the opportunity to attend it.
Public assets should be left for Nigerians to enjoy:
The PTA opined that if the old boys are so concerned about contributing to lifting the quality of education, they could come together and set up their own school and leave public assets like King’s College for Nigerians to enjoy.
Staff will lose their jobs:
Though it is the FME that is the employer of most workers in the college, except for some engaged by the PTA, the group is saying most of the current workers could lose their jobs, as concessionaire would bring in their own people.
Government will concession other schools:
The PTA is also alleging that the FG has entered into agreement with the World Bank to secure $20 million to concession 20 unity colleges in Nigeria. They are of the view that if the concession of King’s College stands, it would move to other colleges.
What we plan to do – Old Boys
The King’s College Old Boys Association, KCOBA, under the leadership of Kashim Ibrahim Imam, has repeatedly tried to assuage the feelings of the PTA. The group has held sessions and media interactions explaining what they want to do with their alma mater when they begin to run it. Imam and his team listed what they intend to do to include:
We will provide affordable quality education:
To achieve this, Imam said an endowment fund of N100 billion has been set up. He explained, “From our findings, we got to know that about N2.4 billion is committed to the college annually, while we don’t want to begin to ask where does the money go, we are sure of raising the N100 billion seed fund.
Surely, we will invest the money and let us even say in the first few years we are going to spend say up to N4 billion because of the need to put facilities back in shape, the invested fund would continue to bring in profits that will sustain our efforts. So, there is not going to be need for any outrageous fees,” he said.
Federal Character Principle will continue:
Imam explained that the college would still be run with the principles of Federal Character in mind. He said the admission process would take care of that .
He added that each state and FCT would be given 10 slots each in the first instance before other slots would be allocated taking note of merit, catchment areas, and others.
Our support in the past were rendered futile:
The old boys expressed frustration that their support in the past amounted to nothing because facilities were not maintained.
They recalled air conditioners installed that were damaged barely four months after.
An old boy said the tartan tracks laid on the field and the water draining system installed on the football field were damaged when the school authorities started renting the field out for social events.
An old boy, Sir Gbolahan Olayomi, mentioned how his effort to support the college with edtech materials was frustrated. He also said the hostels that were renovated and rehabilitated by different sets have become derelict because of poor maintenance.
‘We are not buying the college’:
On the allegation that the old boys were planning to buy the college, Imam said as far as King’s College is concerned, there is no willing seller or a willing buyer. He reiterated that the group has no intention of buying the school.
We will increase salary not retrench workers:
Rather than laying off staff, Imam gave the assurance that his group would significantly increase the salaries of workers. He, however, said that would apply to those who want to work with his team.
“They are federal government employees, in case there is anybody who does not want to work with us, the ministry will transfer the person to any other unity college nearby. In Lagos, there are three other unity colleges apart from our school.”
Nothing stops us from lifting the status of our alma mater:
On the suggestion that the old boys should go and start their own school, Imam explained that there are many old boys owning schools or working in the education sector, but that does not stop them from lifting the status of the college that made them.
“The facilities that are currently run down now will be given great facelift I can assure you that. King’s College is an institution that must not be allowed to be in the parlous state it is now. We only want to give back and not allow that great college to become a very poor shadow of its past glory. It must attain higher glory,” he stated.
We will curb admission racketeering:
An elder statesman, Femi Okunnu, SAN, who is also an old boy, was the first to raise the issue of admission racketeering in the college.
Accusing fingers are being pointed at some parents and some school officials. A slot is reportedly sold for as high as N500,000. The development has led to say somebody like Abiodun Emeka claiming to be an indigene of Yobe State.
Recently, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, accused PTA leaders of engaging in it by conniving with some ministry and college officials to do so. The PTA also fired back that they are not admission officers. The KCOBA promised that the admission process would be made fair and transparent and eliminate racketeering.
Government can do whatever it likes with its colleges:
On the allegation of a World Bank loan to concession unity colleges, KCOBA held that the government can do whatever it likes with its schools.
