King’s College: Old Boys Reject Ownership Claim, Defend Proposed Management Takeover
The King’s College Old Boys Association (KCOBA) has denied allegations that it is seeking to take over ownership of King’s College, Lagos, insisting that the institution will remain a public national school.
KCOBA Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Femi Okunnu, SAN, said the proposed arrangement was aimed at changing the framework for managing, financing, maintaining and developing the institution, rather than transferring its ownership.
Okunnu, who spoke amid growing controversy over the proposed concession of the college, said KCOBA was seeking the responsibility to help restore the institution’s infrastructure, academic standards, administration and student welfare.
“There is no sale. There is no transfer of ownership to KCOBA. The college remains, today and always, a public national institution,” he said.
“What is changing is not who owns King’s College, but the framework through which it is managed, maintained, financed, modernised and developed.
“We are not acquiring King’s College. King’s College is not for sale. We are returning to serve it, to help manage, support and rebuild the institution that shaped generations of Nigerians.”
Okunnu also raised concerns over alleged irregularities in the college’s admission process, claiming that places meant for deserving candidates had, in some instances, been compromised by money and influence.
He alleged that state-based admission quotas had also been diverted to candidates from other states through improper arrangements.
According to him, KCOBA’s inquiries had uncovered concerns that undermined merit, federal character and access to the institution by children from less privileged backgrounds.
“There has been in the past an established admission racketeering where affluent parents have made monetary payments to secure admissions,” Okunnu alleged.
He further claimed that the alleged manipulation of admission slots had contributed to excessive enrolment, saying the school at one point had more than 3,800 students despite having an estimated carrying capacity of about 1,200.
He said the situation had placed significant pressure on the school’s facilities and affected effective supervision and discipline.
Beyond admissions, Okunnu expressed concern over the state of infrastructure at the institution, alleging that some buildings and facilities had deteriorated to a level that raised safety concerns for students, teachers and other members of staff.
He also cited concerns about substance and drug abuse among some students, saying the response should combine discipline with counselling, early intervention and stronger student welfare measures.
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The KCOBA trustee chairman further expressed concern over reports of students allegedly asking for money on campus because they were hungry.
“Whatever the particulars of any individual case, the mere possibility that a child within King’s College may go hungry enough to beg should trouble the conscience of every adult who claims to love this institution,” he said.
On the college’s Victoria Island campus, Okunnu alleged that the facility was being operated as a commercial car park serving visitors to nearby businesses, including a visa application centre.
He said the arrangement exposed the school to security risks and raised questions about the transparent accounting of revenue generated from the facility.
He also criticised the management of levies and contracts by the Parents-Teachers Association, alleging that PTA levies amounting to hundreds of millions of naira were being used for procurement and contracts without adequate safeguards.
“No single stakeholder should simultaneously control the collection of substantial levies and the award of contracts financed by those same funds, absent transparent safeguards,” he said.
Defending the proposed management arrangement, Okunnu said its objective was to establish a sustainable system capable of restoring, operating, maintaining and developing King’s College professionally.
“We are not coming to take King’s College. We are coming to help save it,” he said.
He stressed that KCOBA was not seeking private ownership of the college, adding that its public character must remain protected.
According to him, the proposed arrangement would focus on improving standards, protecting school assets, strengthening administrative systems, improving student welfare, supporting teachers and creating an environment conducive to academic excellence.
He described the initiative as a not-for-profit mission intended to ensure that resources were channelled towards education and the welfare of students rather than personal enrichment.
Okunnu said the proposed reforms would cover safe buildings, improved classrooms and hostels, functional laboratories and libraries, reliable digital systems, high academic standards, disciplined administration, student welfare and modern sporting facilities.
He said the ultimate objective was to restore King’s College to an institution where talented children from modest Nigerian families could gain admission through a fair and transparent process.
The controversy comes amid opposition from some parents, workers and education-sector unions to the proposed concession of King’s College and other unity schools, with stakeholders raising concerns over the future ownership, management and accessibility of the federal institutions.
By PRNigeria
