The Old Students’ Association of the King’s College, Lagos, otherwise known as “Old Boys,” have lamented the poor infrastructure in Nigeria’s federal government colleges, and appealed to the Nigerian government to allow stakeholders including the alumni associations of the colleges to take their ownership and management control.
Speaking during the week ahead of the celebration of the 114th anniversary ceremony of the college, its alumni association’s President, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, reiterated the need for the Federal Government to consider handing over the college to the old students for effective administration.
He noted that as a heritage site, the old students would be bound to give all at their disposal to make the college greater than its current state, if given the opportunity.
The popular businessman and chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) noted that over the years, the old students of the college had taken turns to invest, especially in the area of infrastructure.
According to him, the association believes the college still has a lot to offer, when it comes to human capital development.
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He said: “The Federal Government has many issues seeking for its attention, going from security, economy, foreign affairs, defense, and a lot more.
“It should hand off issues concerning secondary education and allow critical stakeholders such as our association to handle the running of our schools.
“With this current dispensation therefore, it is our prayer and hope that it will rethink its stand on this.
Mr Ibrahim-Imam lauded the association, the Principal of the College, Andrew Agada, and the School Based Management Committee (SBMC) “for their efforts in ensuring that the college remained relevant in the development of the boy child.”
He assured of the association’s commitment in ensuring that the college remained a force to reckon with, especially in the training of young minds.
114th anniversary celebration
Meanwhile, the chairman of this year’s 2023 King’s Week Planning Committee, Olumide Akpata, said the idea of grooming effective leaders remained important to the old students of the college, adding that infrastructure has been a major challenge in the school.
Mr Akpata, a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), who addressed a briefing alongside Mr Ibrahim-Imam, and other stakeholders, announced a line-up of activities to mark the 114th anniversary of the college.
He said the association has been doing all it could to intervene, in order to ensure that the college remains afloat.
He said: “We know that a holistic intervention will definitely be necessary because King’s College Lagos, does not belong to just us. It is a property of Nigeria.
“This 114-year-old institution belongs to Nigeria; it is therefore in our interest to keep it up and running and in great condition.”
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Commenting on other activities to commemorate the anniversary, Mr Akpata said that the Nigeria’s Minister of Works, David Umahi, would be hosted as part of the events, to afford him first-hand information concerning the state of infrastructure in the school.
“On that day, we expect all the old boys across all the generations in attendance for us to have a big conversation,” he said.
Founder’s Day Lecture
Mr Akpata said the works minister, Mr Umahi, will be hosted at a dinner on 23 September while the Rivers State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the 2023 election, Tonye Cole, will deliver the institution’s Founder’s Day lecture 20 September.
Mr Cole is expected to speak on the theme: “Dismantling the Barriers; Creating a Pathway for the Emergence of Effective Leaders.”
Mr Akpata added that the ADC governorship candidate for Lagos in the election, Funsho Doherty; Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, as well as Akin Rotimi, a member of the House of Representatives, among others, are billed to speak at the occasion.
He said the session would be moderated by Tokunbo Shitta-Bey, Chief Medical Director of Duchess International Hospital Ikeja.
He said a cricket match is scheduled to take place between the old students and the Nigerian Cricket Foundation team.
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