King’s College Lagos, hitherto known for its quality facilities, is in a sorry state compared to other schools of its class. Its old boys are seeking ways out of the problem, reports KOFOWOROLA BELO-OSAGIE.
King’s College old boys are not happy with the state of their alma mater. This is particularly so when juxtaposed with the likes of St Gregory’s College, CMS Grammar School, Methodist Boys High School, Igbobi College, Achimota School, Ghana, and others in its league, which it competed with in the past for academic and sports laurels, prestige and fame.
Today, while those other schools can boast of good facilities, after being returned to their original owners in 2001, King’s College Lagos looks older than its 109 years. Its West African rival, Achimota School, Ghana, which is government-owned, has enjoyed a better fate. The facilities in the Lagos Island (TBS) and Victoria Island campuses of the college, established by an Act of British Parliament on September 20, 1909, are in a state of disrepair because of overpopulation and long time neglect.
The poor state of the college has, however, been attracting the attention of its old students over the years. Many among the school’s illustrious alumni have used their resources to repair buildings, provide equipment and the likes for the school. Despite their efforts to salvage the school cow, still looks lean.
In 2009, when the school clocked 100, the old boys raised N1 billion endowment fund to rehabilitate the Lagos Island campus, which many of them fondly associate with, being the original campus, which housed the whole school in their time. Now, because of population explosion, it only serves as the campus for the senior secondary arm of the college. The Victoria Island campus, which now accommodates only the Junior Secondary School arm, got no intervention from the old boys.
Again, the King’s College Old Boys Association (KCOBA) is calling on King’s men to give towards the rehabilitation of both campuses. Its President, Alhaji Kashim Imam, has set an ambitious target of N10 billion to turn around the fortunes of the school for its 110th anniversary next year. Imam even dreams of the expansion of the King’s College Lagos Island campus to the defunct Defence House, opposite the school, which is unoccupied. So also is the cricket pitch, part of the Tafawa Balewa Square, on the same road with the school, making it a private road.
However, some of the old boys are wondering if raising funds for the school’s rehabilitation is enough. The 30th graduation anniversary of the 1982-88 set last weekend provided the platform for discussion on the future of the school. Beyond the hype, which surrounded the inauguration of three projects by the set (Braille Resource Centre, Multipurpose Sports Court, and waste management system), dinner, lunch and thanksgiving service, the feelings of the old boys were summed up during a symposium with the theme: “The King’s College Conundrum: Where do we go from here?”
Many of those present were second generation alumni of the college with their families, who would not consider enrolling their wards in the school, considering its present state.
Olumide Akpata, a member of the 88 set, which boasts of 36 medical doctors, said even in the 80s, when he was in the school, his father, who also attended KC, thought things were bad.
“I was one of those fortunate people whose fathers attended King’s College. My uncles also attended the school. When my father came to visit me then, and that was in the 80s, he was shocked at the state of the school. That showed there has been a steady decline of the school,” said Akpata, whose set was 80 in number.
Akin Rotimi, an old boy of the 97 set, also had a grandfather, who attended King’s College. By the time he was in the school, there were 350 boys in his set.
“In my set alone, we were about 350. What we had then was that when old boys came, they would shake their heads at the rot. My grandfather was of the 1926 set. Among my cousins, he treated me differently. He used to single me out to greet, Floreat.
“King’s College is a national heritage and what has become of King’s College is representative of us as a people. Things went bad from 1976. It corresponded with the proliferation of states and everyone wanting their own Federal Government colleges,” he said.
Today, King’s College has a population of 3,600, with an average of 600 in each class. Each grade has 10 arms with more than 40 pupils in a class, a situation which KCOBA President said is unacceptable.
Imam, who left St Gregory’s College after he got admission to King’s College, said he found himself envying St Gregory’s College, which has enjoyed a good fortune since it was handed over to the Catholic Mission 17 years ago.
He urged the old boys to rise to the occasion and donate towards the N10 billion endowment fund, which he personally pledged to give N100 million. He said in the short term, the KCOBA would commit N300 million into rehabilitating some classrooms, laboratories and others on both campuses before the 2018/2019 session starts in September. By September next year, he said, both campuses should be impeccable for the 110th anniversary.
“Don’t give us money. We want you to adopt projects. We have barely 14 months to renovate both campuses – particularly the King’s College Annex on Victoria Island. It is in a terrible shape,” he said.
However, Akpata, who presented a paper at the symposium, said the old boys may be suffering from donor fatigue, being tired of giving over and over again without seeing much result. He said the old boys once expressed interest in taking over the management of the school during President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, when the then Education Minister Oby Ezekwesili pushed for a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model in running the 104 unity schools.
He called for a definite plan in going forward, saying: “If we do not articulate a plan on how we will move this school forward, on our 60th anniversary, I shudder to imagine what we will confront when we come.
“As far as I am concerned, PPP remains the best forward. Our response to Oby Ezekwesili’s plan was reactionary. We have always romanticised about KC and how we can own it. But we have never had a plan. But these things don’t happen by happenstance, without a plan. If we agree that this is where we are going with Mr President standing in front and leading us, the objectives can be achieved.”
Another Old Boy, Dr Adetona Dosunmu, who did a comparison between King’s College and Achimota School, Ghana, said though both were government owned, the latter was in a much better state than King’s College. However, he said going by a World Bank survey, the problem at King’s College was symptomatic of the problem of governance in Nigeria as a whole. He said while the survey of performance index of governments’ effectiveness over a 20-year period showed that Ghana’s government had achieved a stable 50 per cent pass in governance across all sectors, in Nigeria, it was 10 per cent.
He posted photographs of Achimota School, showing a well-kept building on well manicured land. Although the school had its own issues regarding funding and population, nevertheless Dosunmu said King’s College needed to be rescued.
“In 1995 before the survey, King’s College and Achimota were at the same level. But if you put Achimota School at the top of the curve and started deducting the relative performance on their government, KC will be going down, while Achimota will be standing still. We have a problem of ownership and control by the government, and until we can address it in some meaningful way through public private partnership, or some other way, we are not going to get to the promised land,” he said.
Despite the decay, Federal University Oye Ekiti (FUOYE) Vice-Chancellor, Prof Kayode Soremekun said he still believes in the King’s College brand.
He said: “I am of the view that despite the decadence, the brand King’s College still stands in terms of its superlative profile. Some might say that we are living on past glory, but a number of experiences during my time here shaped my future. Back then, the likes of the Vice Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Prof Lambo; Prof Biobaku of the University of Lagos; Prof Isaya Audu of ABU; and Prof Oluwasanmi of Ife were here as guest speakers. Cast your mind back, how many schools in those days will you have vice chancellors presiding over the school’s speech day?”
Soremekun, who passed through the school between 1967 and 1971, said the old boys must not relent, adding that Nigerian was in need of elite that would contribute to its development and not take away from it.
“Somehow, when one looks around, you find that something terrible has happened. The pain becomes more unbearable when you see what is happening around us. If you go to St Gregory’s College, CMS Grammar School, they have been turned around. If you go to the lesser schools, you see them striving, trying to make a place. My conclusion is that probably in KC, we left everything to the government.
“We have a very organised 82-88 set. But my question is, where are the other sets – all the ways from 1920 downwards? If every set were to be like this, the school will turn around. All the way from Ekiti I try to come for every activity because I have gained a lot from the school. But unfortunately, my own set, when you come for meetings, you see about five gentlemen gathered together. We don’t even call for meetings again. I think it is because probably life’s anxieties …
“When you come to gatherings like this you see those who turn up are individuals who have made it in life. Others, who have not made it, turn away. I want to say to others, please look around for those who have challenges and try to bring them closer,” he said.
For former Principal King’s College (PKC), Mr Sylvester Onoja, King’s College would be restored when its population reduces and the Federal Government accords it a special status as a national heritage.
Let us take King’s College as a national monument. We should ask the government to declare King’s College, University of Ibadan, University of Nigeria Nsukka, and Ahmadu Bello University as national monuments, which should be treated differently and run as independently as possible. That is the way to go forward. The way to go forward is not to multiply King’s College.”
Onoja said King’s College should be like Eton College of the United Kingdom, which has produced 19 of the country’s 54 Prime Ministers.
Another former teacher, Mr Clement Chukwudifu, now Deputy Head Teacher, Lead British International School, Abuja, urged the old boys not to give up.
“You cannot be an outsider and succeed with what is being done here. I want to appeal to the old boys not to give up. I want the old boys to do a SWOT Analysis, put it in a document with statistical data and present to the government to make a case about why they should intervene in King’s College,” he said.
The current Principal of the college, Mr Olusola Isaac Kolawole, also urged the old boys not to give up, but liaise with the government for help.
“I want to suggest that in your communique you should put that KC should be seen as a national heritage. I want to appeal to the old students, don’t be tired. Forget all the past mistakes; let us join hands to take the college to the highest pinnacle,” he said.
Kolawole said on his part he has got the Federal Ministry of Works to visit the college and see what it can do in terms of rehabilitation.
