Stakeholders reject King's College proposed concession, threaten lawsuit

Parents and students of the historic King's College, Lagos, have voiced strong opposition to the Federal Government's proposal to concession the 117-year-old institution to the King's College Old Boys Association. The move has sparked protests and threats of legal challenges, with stakeholders vowing to disrupt the upcoming academic session if the plan proceeds.

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The Old Boys Association keep going around telling the whole world that they now own King’s College, Lagos. But it is not true. It is barbaric, satanic for old students to lay claim to the school that produced them.

Hundreds of parents and students participated in a peaceful demonstration across Lagos Island, carrying placards with messages such as "King’s College is not for sale. Beware!!!" and "Federal Government, we say no to concession." The protest route included key government and campaign offices, underscoring the urgency of their demands.

Peter Oluwaleye, Chairman of the school's Parent-Teacher Association (PTA), stated that parents have repeatedly communicated their opposition to the Ministry of Education and the Presidency without a satisfactory response. He emphasized that the college must remain under the Federal Government's purview. Oluwaleye criticized claims by some members of the old boys' association that they now own the school, describing such assertions as "barbaric" and "satanic."

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We expected them to give back to the school voluntarily and generously. But they are saying they want to take over the school.

Instead of seeking to take over management, Oluwaleye urged the old boys' association to focus on supporting the institution through voluntary contributions. He questioned the association's capacity to manage an institution of King's College's stature under the proposed 35-year concession agreement, viewing it as a commercialization of a public secondary school. Parents have resolved to pursue legal redress and oppose the resumption of students for the new academic session if the government proceeds with the concession.

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We see these old boys association members as businessmen that cannot run an educational institution of this magnitude. They are planning to run the school for an initial 35 years. But we, the parents, are saying no.