Federal Government’s concessioning of King’s College Lagos has continued to attract rejection from the school’s unit of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN.
The parents’ community of the foremost unity college also disagreed with the arrangement.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Federal Government has approved the concession of King’s College Lagos to its old boys association.
The Chairman of King’s College Lagos Unit of ASCSN, Mr. Enang Samuel, told NAN on Thursday that all the staff of the college rejected the concession.
He said that the Federal Government should retain ownership of the college and continue to operate it.
The chairman stressed that concessioning the 116-year-old school would serve private interests rather than public good.
He urged the government not to commercialize the college, saying that King’s College Lagos workers would resist the concession through lawful means.
“All members of staff of King’s College reject this concession and are prepared for any legitimate action to defend government ownership of the college and protect public interest,” he said.
Also, Mr. Olatunji Ojulari, the Chairman of King’s College Lagos Parents Community, expressed displeasure at the development.
Ojulari said that the college remained a national monument.
“We respectfully but totally disagree with the concession approval.
“Our forefathers never donated this land for commercial purposes but to guarantee affordable quality education for generations of Nigerians,” he said.
He said that implementing the concession would undermine the school’s vision by placing quality education beyond the reach of many families.
“Ojulari said that King’s College Lagos had been delivering excellent education at an affordable cost.
“Concession of the school will impose financial burdens on countless parents,” he said.
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According to him, those wishing to establish private schools should invest their own resources and land.
“King’s College belongs to Nigerians and should never become a commercial enterprise,” he said.
A teacher, who pleaded anonymity, told NAN that she was uncomfortable with the arrangement.
She said that the true intentions were not clear to many stakeholders.
“I have reservations because nobody truly knows the intentions behind this development,” she said.
She noted that King’s College Lagos had benefitted from a longstanding partnership with the King’s College Old Boys Association.
According to the teacher, scholarship awards and other interventions by the association had promoted teaching and learning in the college.
“I believe that the partnership can continue without altering the college’s status as a government-owned institution,” she said.
Also, a King’s College Lagos student, who also pleaded anonymity, said that the concession had generated mixed feelings among students.
He expressed hope that the Federal Government and the old boys association would collaborate to preserve the school’s heritage and upgrade its infrastructure.
“We want a situation in which the government and the old boys will work together to protect our school’s legacy, improve learning facilities and put students’ welfare and academic excellence first,” he said.
NAN
