King’s College: Union accuses KCOBA, police of attacking workers, parents

The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, ASCSN, has alleged that members of the King’s College Old Boys Association, KCOBA, accompanied by police officers, forcefully took over the gate of King’s College, Lagos, on Tuesday.

The Unit Chairman of the union, Samuel Enang, made the allegation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos amid the ongoing dispute over the proposed concession of the college to KCOBA.

Enang alleged that KCOBA members, accompanied by armed police officers, stormed the school with a generator and gained entry through the back gate.

He said the KCOBA members subsequently chased away workers and parents who were protesting peacefully at the main gate.

According to him, some protesters, including members of staff, were attacked during the confrontation, leaving some injured and requiring medical attention.

“Those attacked includes a Deputy Director known as Oyedepo; Musa Oyewoga, Vice Chairman of the union; and Bolanle Olumegbon, a former Secretary of King’s College,” he said.

He also alleged that two Physics teachers, one Mr Bashorun and Mr Adesina Emmanuel, were attacked during the confrontation between the protesters and KCOBA members.

Enang further alleged that police officers took away a staff member’s child during the incident, describing the development as disturbing and unacceptable.

“Some of the workers sustained injuries, while the police also took away a staff member’s child during the confrontation at the school,” he alleged.

The ASCSN unit chairman said the workers remained opposed to the proposed concession of King’s College to KCOBA, insisting that their concerns must be addressed.

He urged the Federal Government to urgently intervene, investigate the alleged attack and ensure the safety of workers, students and other stakeholders at the college.

Enang reiterated the workers’ commitment to protecting the college’s interests, saying the protest was aimed at preserving the institution’s heritage as well as safeguarding public education.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that workers’ protest followed concerns over the Federal Government’s plan to concession King’s College to KCOBA under a public-private partnership arrangement.

The workers have expressed opposition to the arrangement, raising concerns about the future of the college, the welfare of staff and the possible implications of the concession on the institution’s management.

However, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, in a meeting with the Trade Union Congress, TUC, and other unions, had clarified that King’s College was neither being sold nor privatised.

Alausa said the Federal Government would retain the legal title to the college, while KCOBA would finance its rehabilitation, modernisation and operate and maintain the institution under the proposed arrangement.

He said the concession was intended to improve the college’s infrastructure and learning environment while preserving its status as a public institution.

The development has, however, continued to generate concerns among workers and other stakeholders, leading to engagements between the ministry and the affected unions.