There was a fracas at King’s College, Lagos, on Tuesday as protesting staff union members resisted the opening of the school gates by security personnel who were on the ground to allow members of the Old Boys’ Association to gain entrance into the school compound.
The King’s College Old Boys’ Association had scheduled a press conference within the school premises but met stiff resistance from the protesting staff members.
Unable to gain entry into the premises, the President of the Old Boys’ Association, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, alongside other old students, addressed journalists in front of the main gate.
Ibrahim-Imam maintained that the Federal Government had handed over the management of the college to the Old Boys on a public-private partnership basis with a mandate to fix the institution.
He said the arrangement did not amount to the sale or privatisation of the college, adding that the Old Boys were interested in improving its infrastructure.
Ibrahim-Imam said, “The Federal Executive Council met and resolved that the management of King’s College, Lagos, should be handed over to the Old Boys on a Public-Private Partnership basis.
“PPP does not in any way signify a sale of the school to the Old Boys.
The Federal Government is not selling King’s College to anybody.
“Also, the Old Boys are not interested in buying King’s College. The role of the association over the years has been to invest in developing the infrastructure across the two campuses. That has primarily been our role.”
Speaking further, Ibrahim-Imam said the Old Boys had no plan to increase school fees, stressing that their objective was to restore the college’s infrastructure.
“There has also been a lot of what I consider to be disinformation, especially concerning the payment of school fees. At no time did the Old Boys imply that we are going to increase school fees. Our objective is to develop the college.
“I keep saying this, as President of the Old Boys, my own personal aspiration is very modest. To take back, not even to take the school forward, take back the school to where I met it as a student. Now, all the facilities are dilapidated.”
He said the condition of the facilities was understandable given that the college was more than 100 years old, adding that the Old Boys were on “a rescue mission.”
Ibrahim-Imam also assured teachers that those who chose to remain at the college under the PPP arrangement would have their salaries and allowances doubled.
He said, “For those who will elect to remain as teachers in King’s College, we will double their salaries and allowances. The Old Boys have made this commitment in order to motivate the teachers to work harder.
“Those who choose to leave, they are staff of the Federal Ministry of Education. The minister has indicated his willingness to transfer those who don’t want to remain under the PPP arrangement.
“He has offered to transfer them to the Federal Government College, Ijanikin, or to Queen’s College. So, they have been given options.”
He added that the Old Boys were motivated by a desire to give back to the institution, noting that about 2,500 students were currently enrolled in the college.
“We, as Old Boys, are motivated by the highest principles of altruism. We desire to give back and nothing more,” he said.
The address was followed by a battle of whose voice was loudest, as the protesting staff rendered solidarity songs aimed at subsuming the school anthem rendition by the Old Boys.
Upon conclusion of the song battle, police personnel, led by the Lagos Commissioner of Police, Fatai Tijani, took charge of the situation and ensured the school gate was opened amid resistance from the protesting staff.
In the ensuing melee over the opening of the gates, two of the protesting staff were seen on the floor gasping for breath, with water being poured upon one of them, while at least one of the protesting staff was seen being taken away in a police van.
The Lagos CP, speaking in front of the King’s College gate on the protest, said an agreement had been reached by the various parties for the Old Boys’ Association to hold its meeting within the school premises on Wednesday.
The police commissioner said the police were at the school to prevent a breakdown of law and order and protect lives and property.
“I told them you have a right to protest but where their right stops, another man’s rights begin,” he said.
Tijani explained that the Old Boys had informed the police that they had the government’s concession so as to renovate the school and wanted to hold their meeting inside the premises, but the school gate was locked by the protesters.
He said, “I came here to appeal and pacify them to allow the old students to have their meeting inside the school, but they disagreed.
“All we are here to do is to ensure that there is no breakdown of peace and that lives and property are secured. That is what we have been trying to do.”
He said both sides had agreed that representatives of the protesters would meet with the Old Boys to discuss the issue.
“At the end of the day, we have had an agreement that tomorrow, they will choose their representatives to meet with the old students and have a dialogue with them inside the school.
“By the time we come, we will ensure they have their dialogue peacefully, both the old students and the protesters,” he added.
Speaking for the protesting workers, the National Coordinator, Federal Workers Forum, Andrew Emelieze, said the workers would continue their protest until the government announced a reversal of the concession of the college.
“King’s College is not for concessioning. King’s College is not for sale. King’s College is not for privatisation. Unity Schools are not for sale, and we are here peacefully.
“Our leaders are in Abuja meeting the Minister of Education on this issue, and we were here peacefully until the Old Boys came, using the Nigeria Police, and forcefully entered. They beat up some very senior staff.
“This is not the best way to go in a democracy. Protest is constitutional; it is legal. The Nigeria Police owe us a duty to protect us when we are protesting, but what we are seeing is the reverse,” he said.
He said the position of the workers was that government should live up to the responsibility of funding education and fixing schools.
Emelieze said, “The government has a responsibility and should meet it. Education should be a right. It should be prioritised, not privatised. If they want to use force to buy the schools, we are saying no. We are resisting it, and we shall continue this protest till they change their decision. This is just Day Two. Tomorrow we are going to be here.
“If the Old Boys are interested in building schools and want education to move forward, they can gather money, buy land and build their own school. They should leave unity schools for the Federal Government to sponsor. It is the duty of the government to sponsor education. They should not privatise it.
“They can do their meeting elsewhere. We are not ready to discuss issues that have to do with our concessioning. It’s ridiculous attempting to buy the teacher that taught you.”
According to Emelieze, the attempt is not novel, adding that the workers would not back down on their call for reversal of concessioning.
He said, “Nigeria is making more money. They have removed the subsidy, increased the tax net; why won’t they be able to sponsor Unity Schools?
“We also have command schools all over the country. Why don’t they concession military schools? Why Unity Schools?
“Past governments tried this and failed. The current government is trying it; they will fail too. We shall continue to resist it until it is victory for the Nigerian people.”
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).
