There was a fracas at King’s College, Lagos, on Tuesday as protesting staff union members resisted the opening of the school gate to members of the Old Boys’ Association, who had planned to hold a press conference within the school premises.

The Old Boys’ Association, led by its President, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, was eventually forced to address journalists outside the main gate amid the protest.

Ibrahim-Imam said the Federal Government had handed over the management of the college to the Old Boys on a Public-Private Partnership, PPP, basis to help rehabilitate the institution.

He stressed that the arrangement did not amount to the sale or privatisation of the school.

“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,” he said.

Ibrahim-Imam said the association’s primary objective was to restore the school’s infrastructure, which he described as dilapidated.

“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,” he said.

He also assured teachers that those who chose to remain at the college under the PPP arrangement would have their salaries and allowances doubled.

“For those who will elect to remain as teachers in King’s College, we will double their salaries and allowances,” Ibrahim-Imam said.

He added that teachers who did not want to remain under the arrangement would be offered transfers to other Federal Government schools, including Federal Government College, Ijanikin, and Queen’s College.

The association said it was motivated by a desire to give back to the institution, which currently has about 2,500 students.

However, the press address was followed by a confrontation between the two sides, with protesting workers singing solidarity songs as the Old Boys attempted to render the school anthem.

Police personnel led by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Tijani, subsequently intervened and opened the school gate despite resistance from the protesters.

During the ensuing melee, two protesting staff members were seen lying on the ground and gasping for breath, while at least one protester was taken away in a police van.

Tijani said the police intervened 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,” the commissioner said.

He said the Old Boys had informed the police that they had government approval to renovate the school and wanted to hold their meeting within the premises.

According to Tijani, an agreement had subsequently been reached for representatives of the protesting workers and the Old Boys to meet and dialogue inside the school.

Speaking on behalf of the protesting workers, the National Coordinator of the Federal Workers Forum, Andrew Emelieze, said the protest would continue until the government reversed the concession.

“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,” Emelieze said.

He argued that funding and rehabilitation of public schools remained the responsibility of government and accused the authorities of attempting to privatise public education.

“Government has a responsibility and should meet it. Education should be a right. It should be prioritised, not privatised,” he said.

Emelieze also rejected the argument that the Old Boys could manage the school through a PPP arrangement, saying they should instead establish their own school if they wanted to contribute to education.

“They can do their meeting elsewhere. We are not ready to discuss issues that have to do with our concessioning,” he said.

The dispute has therefore shifted beyond the planned press conference, with the Old Boys insisting the PPP arrangement is aimed at rescuing King’s College from deteriorating infrastructure, while the workers maintain that the management of federal unity schools should remain under government control.