Workers of King’s College, Lagos, on Tuesday prevented members of the school’s Old Boys’ Association from entering the premises for a press conference on the Federal Government’s decision to concession the institution.
The workers gathered at the school gate, singing solidarity songs and demanding that the government reverse the concession arrangement.
The Old Boys’ Association, led by its President, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, eventually held the press conference outside the school.
Ibrahim-Imam said the Federal Government had approved the transfer of the school’s management to the association under a public-private partnership arrangement aimed at rehabilitating and modernising the 117-year-old institution.
He, however, stressed that the agreement did not amount to a transfer of ownership.
“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,” he said.
According to him, the association’s objective was to restore the school’s infrastructure and facilities to the standard it had attained over the years.
Ibrahim-Imam also dismissed concerns that the concession would automatically lead to higher school fees. He said teachers who opted to remain at the school would have their salaries and allowances doubled under the new arrangement.
He added that workers who did not wish to continue at King’s College would retain their status as Federal Ministry of Education employees and could be transferred to other federal schools.
The standoff at the gate later became tense as police officers moved in to allow the Old Boys’ Association members access to the premises.
Two workers were seen lying on the ground during the confrontation, with one receiving attention from colleagues who poured water on him. At least one other protester was taken away in a police vehicle.
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Tijani, who led the police team, said the officers intervened to prevent the situation from escalating.
Tijani acknowledged the workers’ right to protest but said their protest could not prevent the Old Boys’ Association from exercising its right to hold the meeting.
“I told them you have a right to protest, but where their right stops, another man’s rights begin,” he said.
The police commissioner said the association had informed the police that the Federal Government had approved its management of the school and that it intended to hold the press conference on the premises.
He added that representatives of both sides had agreed to meet on Wednesday to discuss the dispute.
The workers, however, maintained their opposition to the concession.
Andrew Emelieze, National Coordinator of the Federal Workers Forum, said the workers would continue their protest until the government reversed the decision.
“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,” Emelieze said.
He argued that the Federal Government should directly fund and rehabilitate its schools rather than transfer their management to private interests.
“Our position is that government should live up to its responsibility and fund education. Education should be a right. It should be prioritised, not privatised,” he said.
The confrontation is the latest development in the wider dispute over the Federal Government’s plan to concession King’s College to its Old Boys’ Association.
Under the agreement, the association is expected to finance the rehabilitation and modernisation of the school and take responsibility for its operation and maintenance, while the Federal Government retains legal ownership and regulatory oversight.
The government has said the arrangement will cover the rehabilitation of classrooms, hostels, staff quarters, laboratories, libraries, health and dining facilities, utilities, sports facilities and other infrastructure.
The Ministry of Education has also said the concession will not automatically increase school fees, although it does not provide for a permanent fee freeze. Admissions will continue under the existing Unity College framework, including the National Common Entrance Examination for JSS1 admission.
On staff welfare, the government has maintained that existing workers remain civil servants and can either continue at King’s College or be transferred to other federal schools. It said liabilities such as arrears, pensions and gratuities incurred before the transition would remain the Federal Government’s responsibility unless otherwise assumed by the concessionaire.
The government will retain monitoring powers through reports, audits and inspections and may intervene where there are serious breaches or persistent underperformance.
The dispute has also spilled into other Federal Unity Colleges, where workers commenced protests and disrupted the planned resumption of students on Monday over concerns about the concession policy, job security and the future of public education.
The Federal Government has since commenced discussions with labour unions on the concerns raised by workers.
Established in 1909, King’s College Lagos is one of Nigeria’s oldest secondary schools and has operated for decades as a federal institution.
