The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria has rejected the reported concession of King’s College, Lagos, to its Old Boys’ Association, warning that handing over the institution and other Federal Government Colleges to private entities would make them unaffordable for millions of Nigerian students and threaten the jobs of workers.The union also urged the Federal Government to halt any plan to concession or privatise the 120 unity schools, insisting that the colleges should remain national assets established to promote unity and provide quality education for children from all parts of the country.The National Vice-President of the ASCSN, Dr Olubunmi Fajobi, stated this during a press conference held at King’s College, Lagos, on Wednesday.The union’s reaction comes days after the King’s College Old Boys’ Association announced that the Federal Government had approved the concession of the 116-year-old institution to the alumni body under a new governance arrangement.But Fajobi said the reported concession raised fundamental questions about the future of students and employees of the school.Fajobi said, “We are informing Nigerians of current efforts to cede the 120 Federal Government Colleges to private individuals and, through that process, make the schools inaccessible to millions of Nigerian students because of the exorbitant fees that will be charged.”He added, “Besides, once the schools are privatised, millions of employees, namely education officers teaching in the schools and other workers, will be thrown into the oversaturated labour market, the negative social consequences of which we cannot now predict.”Fajobi recalled that the union had, on July 1, issued a statement urging the Federal Government not to hand over unity schools to private entrepreneurs, including alumni associations.He said KCOBA’s subsequent announcement that King’s College had been concessioned to it necessitated the fresh briefing.“If the Old Boys’ Association claims that the school has been ceded to them, what is the template they have designed to deal with the students and the employees of the college?“This is why we maintain our position that the school should not be handed over to private entities,” he said.The labour leader alleged that the latest move mirrored an attempt made in 2005 during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to transfer Federal Government Colleges to private operators under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement.According to him, the union mobilised workers, students, parents, civil society organisations, religious leaders and host communities to resist the plan.“We embarked on dialogues, strikes, including one that lasted seven weeks, and even litigations to preserve the schools for Nigerian children and prevent millions of employees from losing their jobs,” he said.Related NewsFour aviation unions seek NAMA privatisationEFCC hands over 1,452 recovered items to Unity SchoolsThree Nigerian students win gold at International STEM Olympiad in RomeFajobi noted that normalcy only returned to the unity school system in 2010 after former President Goodluck Jonathan ordered the restoration of the junior secondary school components that had earlier been removed from the colleges.“It is unfortunate that 16 years after the unity school system returned to normalcy, efforts have been renewed to destabilise them.“Millions of Nigerian children ought not to be subjected to this periodic trauma over attempts to deny them quality secondary education by adults bent on turning the unity colleges into their private estates,” he added.He argued that the unity schools were established by Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, to foster national integration by bringing together children from different ethnic, religious and social backgrounds.“That the schools have continued to wax stronger today and have grown to 120, 60 years after they were established, is eloquent testimony to Sir Balewa’s ingenuity and vision.“The least the present generation of political leaders can do is sustain the institutions as a legacy for national integration rather than sell them to private entrepreneurs so they become accessible only to children of the privileged,” he said.The union maintained that apart from likely increases in school fees, concessioning the schools could also result in widespread job losses among teachers and other employees.KCOBA had, on Monday, announced that the Federal Government approved the concession of King’s College, describing the decision as the beginning of a “King’s College Renaissance.”Its President, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, however, pointed out that the arrangement was neither a sale nor privatisation of the institution but a new governance framework through which the association would partner with the Federal Government to restore and modernise the college.“It is not the sale of King’s College. It is not the privatisation of King’s College. It is not the abandonment of King’s College by the Federal Government.“Rather, it is the establishment of a new governance framework through which KCOBA will partner with the government to restore, strengthen, modernise and sustain one of Nigeria’s greatest educational institutions,” Ibrahim-Imam had said.He assured Nigerians that the school’s federal character would remain intact and that admissions would continue to reflect national diversity.The KCOBA president also announced a N100bn Collegium Fund to finance infrastructure renewal, digital transformation, teacher development, scholarships and other interventions, stressing that the association had no intention of transferring the financial burden of the project to parents.“We believe that the children of ordinary Nigerians deserve extraordinary educational opportunities,” he said. The union also urged the Federal Government to halt any plan to concession or privatise the 120 unity schools, insisting that the colleges should remain national assets established to promote unity and provide quality education for children from all parts of the country.The National Vice-President of the ASCSN, Dr Olubunmi Fajobi, stated this during a press conference held at King’s College, Lagos, on Wednesday.The union’s reaction comes days after the King’s College Old Boys’ Association announced that the Federal Government had approved the concession of the 116-year-old institution to the alumni body under a new governance arrangement.But Fajobi said the reported concession raised fundamental questions about the future of students and employees of the school.Fajobi said, “We are informing Nigerians of current efforts to cede the 120 Federal Government Colleges to private individuals and, through that process, make the schools inaccessible to millions of Nigerian students because of the exorbitant fees that will be charged.”He added, “Besides, once the schools are privatised, millions of employees, namely education officers teaching in the schools and other workers, will be thrown into the oversaturated labour market, the negative social consequences of which we cannot now predict.”Fajobi recalled that the union had, on July 1, issued a statement urging the Federal Government not to hand over unity schools to private entrepreneurs, including alumni associations.He said KCOBA’s subsequent announcement that King’s College had been concessioned to it necessitated the fresh briefing.“If the Old Boys’ Association claims that the school has been ceded to them, what is the template they have designed to deal with the students and the employees of the college?“This is why we maintain our position that the school should not be handed over to private entities,” he said.The labour leader alleged that the latest move mirrored an attempt made in 2005 during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to transfer Federal Government Colleges to private operators under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement.According to him, the union mobilised workers, students, parents, civil society organisations, religious leaders and host communities to resist the plan.“We embarked on dialogues, strikes, including one that lasted seven weeks, and even litigations to preserve the schools for Nigerian children and prevent millions of employees from losing their jobs,” he said.Related NewsFour aviation unions seek NAMA privatisationEFCC hands over 1,452 recovered items to Unity SchoolsThree Nigerian students win gold at International STEM Olympiad in RomeFajobi noted that normalcy only returned to the unity school system in 2010 after former President Goodluck Jonathan ordered the restoration of the junior secondary school components that had earlier been removed from the colleges.“It is unfortunate that 16 years after the unity school system returned to normalcy, efforts have been renewed to destabilise them.“Millions of Nigerian children ought not to be subjected to this periodic trauma over attempts to deny them quality secondary education by adults bent on turning the unity colleges into their private estates,” he added.He argued that the unity schools were established by Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, to foster national integration by bringing together children from different ethnic, religious and social backgrounds.“That the schools have continued to wax stronger today and have grown to 120, 60 years after they were established, is eloquent testimony to Sir Balewa’s ingenuity and vision.“The least the present generation of political leaders can do is sustain the institutions as a legacy for national integration rather than sell them to private entrepreneurs so they become accessible only to children of the privileged,” he said.The union maintained that apart from likely increases in school fees, concessioning the schools could also result in widespread job losses among teachers and other employees.KCOBA had, on Monday, announced that the Federal Government approved the concession of King’s College, describing the decision as the beginning of a “King’s College Renaissance.”Its President, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, however, pointed out that the arrangement was neither a sale nor privatisation of the institution but a new governance framework through which the association would partner with the Federal Government to restore and modernise the college.“It is not the sale of King’s College. It is not the privatisation of King’s College. It is not the abandonment of King’s College by the Federal Government.“Rather, it is the establishment of a new governance framework through which KCOBA will partner with the government to restore, strengthen, modernise and sustain one of Nigeria’s greatest educational institutions,” Ibrahim-Imam had said.He assured Nigerians that the school’s federal character would remain intact and that admissions would continue to reflect national diversity.The KCOBA president also announced a N100bn Collegium Fund to finance infrastructure renewal, digital transformation, teacher development, scholarships and other interventions, stressing that the association had no intention of transferring the financial burden of the project to parents.“We believe that the children of ordinary Nigerians deserve extraordinary educational opportunities,” he said. The National Vice-President of the ASCSN, Dr Olubunmi Fajobi, stated this during a press conference held at King’s College, Lagos, on Wednesday.The union’s reaction comes days after the King’s College Old Boys’ Association announced that the Federal Government had approved the concession of the 116-year-old institution to the alumni body under a new governance arrangement.But Fajobi said the reported concession raised fundamental questions about the future of students and employees of the school.Fajobi said, “We are informing Nigerians of current efforts to cede the 120 Federal Government Colleges to private individuals and, through that process, make the schools inaccessible to millions of Nigerian students because of the exorbitant fees that will be charged.”He added, “Besides, once the schools are privatised, millions of employees, namely education officers teaching in the schools and other workers, will be thrown into the oversaturated labour market, the negative social consequences of which we cannot now predict.”Fajobi recalled that the union had, on July 1, issued a statement urging the Federal Government not to hand over unity schools to private entrepreneurs, including alumni associations.He said KCOBA’s subsequent announcement that King’s College had been concessioned to it necessitated the fresh briefing.“If the Old Boys’ Association claims that the school has been ceded to them, what is the template they have designed to deal with the students and the employees of the college?“This is why we maintain our position that the school should not be handed over to private entities,” he said.The labour leader alleged that the latest move mirrored an attempt made in 2005 during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to transfer Federal Government Colleges to private operators under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement.According to him, the union mobilised workers, students, parents, civil society organisations, religious leaders and host communities to resist the plan.“We embarked on dialogues, strikes, including one that lasted seven weeks, and even litigations to preserve the schools for Nigerian children and prevent millions of employees from losing their jobs,” he said.Related NewsFour aviation unions seek NAMA privatisationEFCC hands over 1,452 recovered items to Unity SchoolsThree Nigerian students win gold at International STEM Olympiad in RomeFajobi noted that normalcy only returned to the unity school system in 2010 after former President Goodluck Jonathan ordered the restoration of the junior secondary school components that had earlier been removed from the colleges.“It is unfortunate that 16 years after the unity school system returned to normalcy, efforts have been renewed to destabilise them.“Millions of Nigerian children ought not to be subjected to this periodic trauma over attempts to deny them quality secondary education by adults bent on turning the unity colleges into their private estates,” he added.He argued that the unity schools were established by Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, to foster national integration by bringing together children from different ethnic, religious and social backgrounds.“That the schools have continued to wax stronger today and have grown to 120, 60 years after they were established, is eloquent testimony to Sir Balewa’s ingenuity and vision.“The least the present generation of political leaders can do is sustain the institutions as a legacy for national integration rather than sell them to private entrepreneurs so they become accessible only to children of the privileged,” he said.The union maintained that apart from likely increases in school fees, concessioning the schools could also result in widespread job losses among teachers and other employees.KCOBA had, on Monday, announced that the Federal Government approved the concession of King’s College, describing the decision as the beginning of a “King’s College Renaissance.”Its President, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, however, pointed out that the arrangement was neither a sale nor privatisation of the institution but a new governance framework through which the association would partner with the Federal Government to restore and modernise the college.“It is not the sale of King’s College. It is not the privatisation of King’s College. It is not the abandonment of King’s College by the Federal Government.“Rather, it is the establishment of a new governance framework through which KCOBA will partner with the government to restore, strengthen, modernise and sustain one of Nigeria’s greatest educational institutions,” Ibrahim-Imam had said.He assured Nigerians that the school’s federal character would remain intact and that admissions would continue to reflect national diversity.The KCOBA president also announced a N100bn Collegium Fund to finance infrastructure renewal, digital transformation, teacher development, scholarships and other interventions, stressing that the association had no intention of transferring the financial burden of the project to parents.“We believe that the children of ordinary Nigerians deserve extraordinary educational opportunities,” he said. The union’s reaction comes days after the King’s College Old Boys’ Association announced that the Federal Government had approved the concession of the 116-year-old institution to the alumni body under a new governance arrangement.But Fajobi said the reported concession raised fundamental questions about the future of students and employees of the school.Fajobi said, “We are informing Nigerians of current efforts to cede the 120 Federal Government Colleges to private individuals and, through that process, make the schools inaccessible to millions of Nigerian students because of the exorbitant fees that will be charged.”He added, “Besides, once the schools are privatised, millions of employees, namely education officers teaching in the schools and other workers, will be thrown into the oversaturated labour market, the negative social consequences of which we cannot now predict.”Fajobi recalled that the union had, on July 1, issued a statement urging the Federal Government not to hand over unity schools to private entrepreneurs, including alumni associations.He said KCOBA’s subsequent announcement that King’s College had been concessioned to it necessitated the fresh briefing.“If the Old Boys’ Association claims that the school has been ceded to them, what is the template they have designed to deal with the students and the employees of the college?“This is why we maintain our position that the school should not be handed over to private entities,” he said.The labour leader alleged that the latest move mirrored an attempt made in 2005 during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to transfer Federal Government Colleges to private operators under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement.According to him, the union mobilised workers, students, parents, civil society organisations, religious leaders and host communities to resist the plan.“We embarked on dialogues, strikes, including one that lasted seven weeks, and even litigations to preserve the schools for Nigerian children and prevent millions of employees from losing their jobs,” he said.Related NewsFour aviation unions seek NAMA privatisationEFCC hands over 1,452 recovered items to Unity SchoolsThree Nigerian students win gold at International STEM Olympiad in RomeFajobi noted that normalcy only returned to the unity school system in 2010 after former President Goodluck Jonathan ordered the restoration of the junior secondary school components that had earlier been removed from the colleges.“It is unfortunate that 16 years after the unity school system returned to normalcy, efforts have been renewed to destabilise them.“Millions of Nigerian children ought not to be subjected to this periodic trauma over attempts to deny them quality secondary education by adults bent on turning the unity colleges into their private estates,” he added.He argued that the unity schools were established by Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, to foster national integration by bringing together children from different ethnic, religious and social backgrounds.“That the schools have continued to wax stronger today and have grown to 120, 60 years after they were established, is eloquent testimony to Sir Balewa’s ingenuity and vision.“The least the present generation of political leaders can do is sustain the institutions as a legacy for national integration rather than sell them to private entrepreneurs so they become accessible only to children of the privileged,” he said.The union maintained that apart from likely increases in school fees, concessioning the schools could also result in widespread job losses among teachers and other employees.KCOBA had, on Monday, announced that the Federal Government approved the concession of King’s College, describing the decision as the beginning of a “King’s College Renaissance.”Its President, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, however, pointed out that the arrangement was neither a sale nor privatisation of the institution but a new governance framework through which the association would partner with the Federal Government to restore and modernise the college.“It is not the sale of King’s College. It is not the privatisation of King’s College. It is not the abandonment of King’s College by the Federal Government.“Rather, it is the establishment of a new governance framework through which KCOBA will partner with the government to restore, strengthen, modernise and sustain one of Nigeria’s greatest educational institutions,” Ibrahim-Imam had said.He assured Nigerians that the school’s federal character would remain intact and that admissions would continue to reflect national diversity.The KCOBA president also announced a N100bn Collegium Fund to finance infrastructure renewal, digital transformation, teacher development, scholarships and other interventions, stressing that the association had no intention of transferring the financial burden of the project to parents.“We believe that the children of ordinary Nigerians deserve extraordinary educational opportunities,” he said. But Fajobi said the reported concession raised fundamental questions about the future of students and employees of the school.Fajobi said, “We are informing Nigerians of current efforts to cede the 120 Federal Government Colleges to private individuals and, through that process, make the schools inaccessible to millions of Nigerian students because of the exorbitant fees that will be charged.”He added, “Besides, once the schools are privatised, millions of employees, namely education officers teaching in the schools and other workers, will be thrown into the oversaturated labour market, the negative social consequences of which we cannot now predict.”Fajobi recalled that the union had, on July 1, issued a statement urging the Federal Government not to hand over unity schools to private entrepreneurs, including alumni associations.He said KCOBA’s subsequent announcement that King’s College had been concessioned to it necessitated the fresh briefing.“If the Old Boys’ Association claims that the school has been ceded to them, what is the template they have designed to deal with the students and the employees of the college?“This is why we maintain our position that the school should not be handed over to private entities,” he said.The labour leader alleged that the latest move mirrored an attempt made in 2005 during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to transfer Federal Government Colleges to private operators under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement.According to him, the union mobilised workers, students, parents, civil society organisations, religious leaders and host communities to resist the plan.“We embarked on dialogues, strikes, including one that lasted seven weeks, and even litigations to preserve the schools for Nigerian children and prevent millions of employees from losing their jobs,” he said.Related NewsFour aviation unions seek NAMA privatisationEFCC hands over 1,452 recovered items to Unity SchoolsThree Nigerian students win gold at International STEM Olympiad in RomeFajobi noted that normalcy only returned to the unity school system in 2010 after former President Goodluck Jonathan ordered the restoration of the junior secondary school components that had earlier been removed from the colleges.“It is unfortunate that 16 years after the unity school system returned to normalcy, efforts have been renewed to destabilise them.“Millions of Nigerian children ought not to be subjected to this periodic trauma over attempts to deny them quality secondary education by adults bent on turning the unity colleges into their private estates,” he added.He argued that the unity schools were established by Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, to foster national integration by bringing together children from different ethnic, religious and social backgrounds.“That the schools have continued to wax stronger today and have grown to 120, 60 years after they were established, is eloquent testimony to Sir Balewa’s ingenuity and vision.“The least the present generation of political leaders can do is sustain the institutions as a legacy for national integration rather than sell them to private entrepreneurs so they become accessible only to children of the privileged,” he said.The union maintained that apart from likely increases in school fees, concessioning the schools could also result in widespread job losses among teachers and other employees.KCOBA had, on Monday, announced that the Federal Government approved the concession of King’s College, describing the decision as the beginning of a “King’s College Renaissance.”Its President, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, however, pointed out that the arrangement was neither a sale nor privatisation of the institution but a new governance framework through which the association would partner with the Federal Government to restore and modernise the college.“It is not the sale of King’s College. It is not the privatisation of King’s College. It is not the abandonment of King’s College by the Federal Government.“Rather, it is the establishment of a new governance framework through which KCOBA will partner with the government to restore, strengthen, modernise and sustain one of Nigeria’s greatest educational institutions,” Ibrahim-Imam had said.He assured Nigerians that the school’s federal character would remain intact and that admissions would continue to reflect national diversity.The KCOBA president also announced a N100bn Collegium Fund to finance infrastructure renewal, digital transformation, teacher development, scholarships and other interventions, stressing that the association had no intention of transferring the financial burden of the project to parents.“We believe that the children of ordinary Nigerians deserve extraordinary educational opportunities,” he said. Fajobi said, “We are informing Nigerians of current efforts to cede the 120 Federal Government Colleges to private individuals and, through that process, make the schools inaccessible to millions of Nigerian students because of the exorbitant fees that will be charged.”He added, “Besides, once the schools are privatised, millions of employees, namely education officers teaching in the schools and other workers, will be thrown into the oversaturated labour market, the negative social consequences of which we cannot now predict.”Fajobi recalled that the union had, on July 1, issued a statement urging the Federal Government not to hand over unity schools to private entrepreneurs, including alumni associations.He said KCOBA’s subsequent announcement that King’s College had been concessioned to it necessitated the fresh briefing.“If the Old Boys’ Association claims that the school has been ceded to them, what is the template they have designed to deal with the students and the employees of the college?“This is why we maintain our position that the school should not be handed over to private entities,” he said.The labour leader alleged that the latest move mirrored an attempt made in 2005 during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to transfer Federal Government Colleges to private operators under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement.According to him, the union mobilised workers, students, parents, civil society organisations, religious leaders and host communities to resist the plan.“We embarked on dialogues, strikes, including one that lasted seven weeks, and even litigations to preserve the schools for Nigerian children and prevent millions of employees from losing their jobs,” he said.Related NewsFour aviation unions seek NAMA privatisationEFCC hands over 1,452 recovered items to Unity SchoolsThree Nigerian students win gold at International STEM Olympiad in RomeFajobi noted that normalcy only returned to the unity school system in 2010 after former President Goodluck Jonathan ordered the restoration of the junior secondary school components that had earlier been removed from the colleges.“It is unfortunate that 16 years after the unity school system returned to normalcy, efforts have been renewed to destabilise them.“Millions of Nigerian children ought not to be subjected to this periodic trauma over attempts to deny them quality secondary education by adults bent on turning the unity colleges into their private estates,” he added.He argued that the unity schools were established by Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, to foster national integration by bringing together children from different ethnic, religious and social backgrounds.“That the schools have continued to wax stronger today and have grown to 120, 60 years after they were established, is eloquent testimony to Sir Balewa’s ingenuity and vision.“The least the present generation of political leaders can do is sustain the institutions as a legacy for national integration rather than sell them to private entrepreneurs so they become accessible only to children of the privileged,” he said.The union maintained that apart from likely increases in school fees, concessioning the schools could also result in widespread job losses among teachers and other employees.KCOBA had, on Monday, announced that the Federal Government approved the concession of King’s College, describing the decision as the beginning of a “King’s College Renaissance.”Its President, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, however, pointed out that the arrangement was neither a sale nor privatisation of the institution but a new governance framework through which the association would partner with the Federal Government to restore and modernise the college.“It is not the sale of King’s College. It is not the privatisation of King’s College. It is not the abandonment of King’s College by the Federal Government.“Rather, it is the establishment of a new governance framework through which KCOBA will partner with the government to restore, strengthen, modernise and sustain one of Nigeria’s greatest educational institutions,” Ibrahim-Imam had said.He assured Nigerians that the school’s federal character would remain intact and that admissions would continue to reflect national diversity.The KCOBA president also announced a N100bn Collegium Fund to finance infrastructure renewal, digital transformation, teacher development, scholarships and other interventions, stressing that the association had no intention of transferring the financial burden of the project to parents.“We believe that the children of ordinary Nigerians deserve extraordinary educational opportunities,” he said. He added, “Besides, once the schools are privatised, millions of employees, namely education officers teaching in the schools and other workers, will be thrown into the oversaturated labour market, the negative social consequences of which we cannot now predict.”Fajobi recalled that the union had, on July 1, issued a statement urging the Federal Government not to hand over unity schools to private entrepreneurs, including alumni associations.He said KCOBA’s subsequent announcement that King’s College had been concessioned to it necessitated the fresh briefing.“If the Old Boys’ Association claims that the school has been ceded to them, what is the template they have designed to deal with the students and the employees of the college?“This is why we maintain our position that the school should not be handed over to private entities,” he said.The labour leader alleged that the latest move mirrored an attempt made in 2005 during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to transfer Federal Government Colleges to private operators under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement.According to him, the union mobilised workers, students, parents, civil society organisations, religious leaders and host communities to resist the plan.“We embarked on dialogues, strikes, including one that lasted seven weeks, and even litigations to preserve the schools for Nigerian children and prevent millions of employees from losing their jobs,” he said.Related NewsFour aviation unions seek NAMA privatisationEFCC hands over 1,452 recovered items to Unity SchoolsThree Nigerian students win gold at International STEM Olympiad in RomeFajobi noted that normalcy only returned to the unity school system in 2010 after former President Goodluck Jonathan ordered the restoration of the junior secondary school components that had earlier been removed from the colleges.“It is unfortunate that 16 years after the unity school system returned to normalcy, efforts have been renewed to destabilise them.“Millions of Nigerian children ought not to be subjected to this periodic trauma over attempts to deny them quality secondary education by adults bent on turning the unity colleges into their private estates,” he added.He argued that the unity schools were established by Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, to foster national integration by bringing together children from different ethnic, religious and social backgrounds.“That the schools have continued to wax stronger today and have grown to 120, 60 years after they were established, is eloquent testimony to Sir Balewa’s ingenuity and vision.“The least the present generation of political leaders can do is sustain the institutions as a legacy for national integration rather than sell them to private entrepreneurs so they become accessible only to children of the privileged,” he said.The union maintained that apart from likely increases in school fees, concessioning the schools could also result in widespread job losses among teachers and other employees.KCOBA had, on Monday, announced that the Federal Government approved the concession of King’s College, describing the decision as the beginning of a “King’s College Renaissance.”Its President, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, however, pointed out that the arrangement was neither a sale nor privatisation of the institution but a new governance framework through which the association would partner with the Federal Government to restore and modernise the college.“It is not the sale of King’s College. It is not the privatisation of King’s College. It is not the abandonment of King’s College by the Federal Government.“Rather, it is the establishment of a new governance framework through which KCOBA will partner with the government to restore, strengthen, modernise and sustain one of Nigeria’s greatest educational institutions,” Ibrahim-Imam had said.He assured Nigerians that the school’s federal character would remain intact and that admissions would continue to reflect national diversity.The KCOBA president also announced a N100bn Collegium Fund to finance infrastructure renewal, digital transformation, teacher development, scholarships and other interventions, stressing that the association had no intention of transferring the financial burden of the project to parents.“We believe that the children of ordinary Nigerians deserve extraordinary educational opportunities,” he said. Fajobi recalled that the union had, on July 1, issued a statement urging the Federal Government not to hand over unity schools to private entrepreneurs, including alumni associations.He said KCOBA’s subsequent announcement that King’s College had been concessioned to it necessitated the fresh briefing.“If the Old Boys’ Association claims that the school has been ceded to them, what is the template they have designed to deal with the students and the employees of the college?“This is why we maintain our position that the school should not be handed over to private entities,” he said.The labour leader alleged that the latest move mirrored an attempt made in 2005 during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to transfer Federal Government Colleges to private operators under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement.According to him, the union mobilised workers, students, parents, civil society organisations, religious leaders and host communities to resist the plan.“We embarked on dialogues, strikes, including one that lasted seven weeks, and even litigations to preserve the schools for Nigerian children and prevent millions of employees from losing their jobs,” he said.Related NewsFour aviation unions seek NAMA privatisationEFCC hands over 1,452 recovered items to Unity SchoolsThree Nigerian students win gold at International STEM Olympiad in RomeFajobi noted that normalcy only returned to the unity school system in 2010 after former President Goodluck Jonathan ordered the restoration of the junior secondary school components that had earlier been removed from the colleges.“It is unfortunate that 16 years after the unity school system returned to normalcy, efforts have been renewed to destabilise them.“Millions of Nigerian children ought not to be subjected to this periodic trauma over attempts to deny them quality secondary education by adults bent on turning the unity colleges into their private estates,” he added.He argued that the unity schools were established by Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, to foster national integration by bringing together children from different ethnic, religious and social backgrounds.“That the schools have continued to wax stronger today and have grown to 120, 60 years after they were established, is eloquent testimony to Sir Balewa’s ingenuity and vision.“The least the present generation of political leaders can do is sustain the institutions as a legacy for national integration rather than sell them to private entrepreneurs so they become accessible only to children of the privileged,” he said.The union maintained that apart from likely increases in school fees, concessioning the schools could also result in widespread job losses among teachers and other employees.KCOBA had, on Monday, announced that the Federal Government approved the concession of King’s College, describing the decision as the beginning of a “King’s College Renaissance.”Its President, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, however, pointed out that the arrangement was neither a sale nor privatisation of the institution but a new governance framework through which the association would partner with the Federal Government to restore and modernise the college.“It is not the sale of King’s College. It is not the privatisation of King’s College. It is not the abandonment of King’s College by the Federal Government.“Rather, it is the establishment of a new governance framework through which KCOBA will partner with the government to restore, strengthen, modernise and sustain one of Nigeria’s greatest educational institutions,” Ibrahim-Imam had said.He assured Nigerians that the school’s federal character would remain intact and that admissions would continue to reflect national diversity.The KCOBA president also announced a N100bn Collegium Fund to finance infrastructure renewal, digital transformation, teacher development, scholarships and other interventions, stressing that the association had no intention of transferring the financial burden of the project to parents.“We believe that the children of ordinary Nigerians deserve extraordinary educational opportunities,” he said. He said KCOBA’s subsequent announcement that King’s College had been concessioned to it necessitated the fresh briefing.“If the Old Boys’ Association claims that the school has been ceded to them, what is the template they have designed to deal with the students and the employees of the college?“This is why we maintain our position that the school should not be handed over to private entities,” he said.The labour leader alleged that the latest move mirrored an attempt made in 2005 during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to transfer Federal Government Colleges to private operators under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement.According to him, the union mobilised workers, students, parents, civil society organisations, religious leaders and host communities to resist the plan.“We embarked on dialogues, strikes, including one that lasted seven weeks, and even litigations to preserve the schools for Nigerian children and prevent millions of employees from losing their jobs,” he said.Related NewsFour aviation unions seek NAMA privatisationEFCC hands over 1,452 recovered items to Unity SchoolsThree Nigerian students win gold at International STEM Olympiad in RomeFajobi noted that normalcy only returned to the unity school system in 2010 after former President Goodluck Jonathan ordered the restoration of the junior secondary school components that had earlier been removed from the colleges.“It is unfortunate that 16 years after the unity school system returned to normalcy, efforts have been renewed to destabilise them.“Millions of Nigerian children ought not to be subjected to this periodic trauma over attempts to deny them quality secondary education by adults bent on turning the unity colleges into their private estates,” he added.He argued that the unity schools were established by Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, to foster national integration by bringing together children from different ethnic, religious and social backgrounds.“That the schools have continued to wax stronger today and have grown to 120, 60 years after they were established, is eloquent testimony to Sir Balewa’s ingenuity and vision.“The least the present generation of political leaders can do is sustain the institutions as a legacy for national integration rather than sell them to private entrepreneurs so they become accessible only to children of the privileged,” he said.The union maintained that apart from likely increases in school fees, concessioning the schools could also result in widespread job losses among teachers and other employees.KCOBA had, on Monday, announced that the Federal Government approved the concession of King’s College, describing the decision as the beginning of a “King’s College Renaissance.”Its President, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, however, pointed out that the arrangement was neither a sale nor privatisation of the institution but a new governance framework through which the association would partner with the Federal Government to restore and modernise the college.“It is not the sale of King’s College. It is not the privatisation of King’s College. It is not the abandonment of King’s College by the Federal Government.“Rather, it is the establishment of a new governance framework through which KCOBA will partner with the government to restore, strengthen, modernise and sustain one of Nigeria’s greatest educational institutions,” Ibrahim-Imam had said.He assured Nigerians that the school’s federal character would remain intact and that admissions would continue to reflect national diversity.The KCOBA president also announced a N100bn Collegium Fund to finance infrastructure renewal, digital transformation, teacher development, scholarships and other interventions, stressing that the association had no intention of transferring the financial burden of the project to parents.“We believe that the children of ordinary Nigerians deserve extraordinary educational opportunities,” he said. “If the Old Boys’ Association claims that the school has been ceded to them, what is the template they have designed to deal with the students and the employees of the college?“This is why we maintain our position that the school should not be handed over to private entities,” he said.The labour leader alleged that the latest move mirrored an attempt made in 2005 during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to transfer Federal Government Colleges to private operators under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement.According to him, the union mobilised workers, students, parents, civil society organisations, religious leaders and host communities to resist the plan.“We embarked on dialogues, strikes, including one that lasted seven weeks, and even litigations to preserve the schools for Nigerian children and prevent millions of employees from losing their jobs,” he said.Related NewsFour aviation unions seek NAMA privatisationEFCC hands over 1,452 recovered items to Unity SchoolsThree Nigerian students win gold at International STEM Olympiad in RomeFajobi noted that normalcy only returned to the unity school system in 2010 after former President Goodluck Jonathan ordered the restoration of the junior secondary school components that had earlier been removed from the colleges.“It is unfortunate that 16 years after the unity school system returned to normalcy, efforts have been renewed to destabilise them.“Millions of Nigerian children ought not to be subjected to this periodic trauma over attempts to deny them quality secondary education by adults bent on turning the unity colleges into their private estates,” he added.He argued that the unity schools were established by Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, to foster national integration by bringing together children from different ethnic, religious and social backgrounds.“That the schools have continued to wax stronger today and have grown to 120, 60 years after they were established, is eloquent testimony to Sir Balewa’s ingenuity and vision.“The least the present generation of political leaders can do is sustain the institutions as a legacy for national integration rather than sell them to private entrepreneurs so they become accessible only to children of the privileged,” he said.The union maintained that apart from likely increases in school fees, concessioning the schools could also result in widespread job losses among teachers and other employees.KCOBA had, on Monday, announced that the Federal Government approved the concession of King’s College, describing the decision as the beginning of a “King’s College Renaissance.”Its President, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, however, pointed out that the arrangement was neither a sale nor privatisation of the institution but a new governance framework through which the association would partner with the Federal Government to restore and modernise the college.“It is not the sale of King’s College. It is not the privatisation of King’s College. It is not the abandonment of King’s College by the Federal Government.“Rather, it is the establishment of a new governance framework through which KCOBA will partner with the government to restore, strengthen, modernise and sustain one of Nigeria’s greatest educational institutions,” Ibrahim-Imam had said.He assured Nigerians that the school’s federal character would remain intact and that admissions would continue to reflect national diversity.The KCOBA president also announced a N100bn Collegium Fund to finance infrastructure renewal, digital transformation, teacher development, scholarships and other interventions, stressing that the association had no intention of transferring the financial burden of the project to parents.“We believe that the children of ordinary Nigerians deserve extraordinary educational opportunities,” he said. “This is why we maintain our position that the school should not be handed over to private entities,” he said.The labour leader alleged that the latest move mirrored an attempt made in 2005 during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to transfer Federal Government Colleges to private operators under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement.According to him, the union mobilised workers, students, parents, civil society organisations, religious leaders and host communities to resist the plan.“We embarked on dialogues, strikes, including one that lasted seven weeks, and even litigations to preserve the schools for Nigerian children and prevent millions of employees from losing their jobs,” he said.Related NewsFour aviation unions seek NAMA privatisationEFCC hands over 1,452 recovered items to Unity SchoolsThree Nigerian students win gold at International STEM Olympiad in RomeFajobi noted that normalcy only returned to the unity school system in 2010 after former President Goodluck Jonathan ordered the restoration of the junior secondary school components that had earlier been removed from the colleges.“It is unfortunate that 16 years after the unity school system returned to normalcy, efforts have been renewed to destabilise them.“Millions of Nigerian children ought not to be subjected to this periodic trauma over attempts to deny them quality secondary education by adults bent on turning the unity colleges into their private estates,” he added.He argued that the unity schools were established by Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, to foster national integration by bringing together children from different ethnic, religious and social backgrounds.“That the schools have continued to wax stronger today and have grown to 120, 60 years after they were established, is eloquent testimony to Sir Balewa’s ingenuity and vision.“The least the present generation of political leaders can do is sustain the institutions as a legacy for national integration rather than sell them to private entrepreneurs so they become accessible only to children of the privileged,” he said.The union maintained that apart from likely increases in school fees, concessioning the schools could also result in widespread job losses among teachers and other employees.KCOBA had, on Monday, announced that the Federal Government approved the concession of King’s College, describing the decision as the beginning of a “King’s College Renaissance.”Its President, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, however, pointed out that the arrangement was neither a sale nor privatisation of the institution but a new governance framework through which the association would partner with the Federal Government to restore and modernise the college.“It is not the sale of King’s College. It is not the privatisation of King’s College. It is not the abandonment of King’s College by the Federal Government.“Rather, it is the establishment of a new governance framework through which KCOBA will partner with the government to restore, strengthen, modernise and sustain one of Nigeria’s greatest educational institutions,” Ibrahim-Imam had said.He assured Nigerians that the school’s federal character would remain intact and that admissions would continue to reflect national diversity.The KCOBA president also announced a N100bn Collegium Fund to finance infrastructure renewal, digital transformation, teacher development, scholarships and other interventions, stressing that the association had no intention of transferring the financial burden of the project to parents.“We believe that the children of ordinary Nigerians deserve extraordinary educational opportunities,” he said. The labour leader alleged that the latest move mirrored an attempt made in 2005 during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to transfer Federal Government Colleges to private operators under a Public-Private Partnership arrangement.According to him, the union mobilised workers, students, parents, civil society organisations, religious leaders and host communities to resist the plan.“We embarked on dialogues, strikes, including one that lasted seven weeks, and even litigations to preserve the schools for Nigerian children and prevent millions of employees from losing their jobs,” he said.Related NewsFour aviation unions seek NAMA privatisationEFCC hands over 1,452 recovered items to Unity SchoolsThree Nigerian students win gold at International STEM Olympiad in RomeFajobi noted that normalcy only returned to the unity school system in 2010 after former President Goodluck Jonathan ordered the restoration of the junior secondary school components that had earlier been removed from the colleges.“It is unfortunate that 16 years after the unity school system returned to normalcy, efforts have been renewed to destabilise them.“Millions of Nigerian children ought not to be subjected to this periodic trauma over attempts to deny them quality secondary education by adults bent on turning the unity colleges into their private estates,” he added.He argued that the unity schools were established by Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, to foster national integration by bringing together children from different ethnic, religious and social backgrounds.“That the schools have continued to wax stronger today and have grown to 120, 60 years after they were established, is eloquent testimony to Sir Balewa’s ingenuity and vision.“The least the present generation of political leaders can do is sustain the institutions as a legacy for national integration rather than sell them to private entrepreneurs so they become accessible only to children of the privileged,” he said.The union maintained that apart from likely increases in school fees, concessioning the schools could also result in widespread job losses among teachers and other employees.KCOBA had, on Monday, announced that the Federal Government approved the concession of King’s College, describing the decision as the beginning of a “King’s College Renaissance.”Its President, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, however, pointed out that the arrangement was neither a sale nor privatisation of the institution but a new governance framework through which the association would partner with the Federal Government to restore and modernise the college.“It is not the sale of King’s College. It is not the privatisation of King’s College. It is not the abandonment of King’s College by the Federal Government.“Rather, it is the establishment of a new governance framework through which KCOBA will partner with the government to restore, strengthen, modernise and sustain one of Nigeria’s greatest educational institutions,” Ibrahim-Imam had said.He assured Nigerians that the school’s federal character would remain intact and that admissions would continue to reflect national diversity.The KCOBA president also announced a N100bn Collegium Fund to finance infrastructure renewal, digital transformation, teacher development, scholarships and other interventions, stressing that the association had no intention of transferring the financial burden of the project to parents.“We believe that the children of ordinary Nigerians deserve extraordinary educational opportunities,” he said. According to him, the union mobilised workers, students, parents, civil society organisations, religious leaders and host communities to resist the plan.“We embarked on dialogues, strikes, including one that lasted seven weeks, and even litigations to preserve the schools for Nigerian children and prevent millions of employees from losing their jobs,” he said.Related NewsFour aviation unions seek NAMA privatisationEFCC hands over 1,452 recovered items to Unity SchoolsThree Nigerian students win gold at International STEM Olympiad in RomeFajobi noted that normalcy only returned to the unity school system in 2010 after former President Goodluck Jonathan ordered the restoration of the junior secondary school components that had earlier been removed from the colleges.“It is unfortunate that 16 years after the unity school system returned to normalcy, efforts have been renewed to destabilise them.“Millions of Nigerian children ought not to be subjected to this periodic trauma over attempts to deny them quality secondary education by adults bent on turning the unity colleges into their private estates,” he added.He argued that the unity schools were established by Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, to foster national integration by bringing together children from different ethnic, religious and social backgrounds.“That the schools have continued to wax stronger today and have grown to 120, 60 years after they were established, is eloquent testimony to Sir Balewa’s ingenuity and vision.“The least the present generation of political leaders can do is sustain the institutions as a legacy for national integration rather than sell them to private entrepreneurs so they become accessible only to children of the privileged,” he said.The union maintained that apart from likely increases in school fees, concessioning the schools could also result in widespread job losses among teachers and other employees.KCOBA had, on Monday, announced that the Federal Government approved the concession of King’s College, describing the decision as the beginning of a “King’s College Renaissance.”Its President, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, however, pointed out that the arrangement was neither a sale nor privatisation of the institution but a new governance framework through which the association would partner with the Federal Government to restore and modernise the college.“It is not the sale of King’s College. It is not the privatisation of King’s College. It is not the abandonment of King’s College by the Federal Government.“Rather, it is the establishment of a new governance framework through which KCOBA will partner with the government to restore, strengthen, modernise and sustain one of Nigeria’s greatest educational institutions,” Ibrahim-Imam had said.He assured Nigerians that the school’s federal character would remain intact and that admissions would continue to reflect national diversity.The KCOBA president also announced a N100bn Collegium Fund to finance infrastructure renewal, digital transformation, teacher development, scholarships and other interventions, stressing that the association had no intention of transferring the financial burden of the project to parents.“We believe that the children of ordinary Nigerians deserve extraordinary educational opportunities,” he said. “We embarked on dialogues, strikes, including one that lasted seven weeks, and even litigations to preserve the schools for Nigerian children and prevent millions of employees from losing their jobs,” he said.Related NewsFour aviation unions seek NAMA privatisationEFCC hands over 1,452 recovered items to Unity SchoolsThree Nigerian students win gold at International STEM Olympiad in RomeFajobi noted that normalcy only returned to the unity school system in 2010 after former President Goodluck Jonathan ordered the restoration of the junior secondary school components that had earlier been removed from the colleges.“It is unfortunate that 16 years after the unity school system returned to normalcy, efforts have been renewed to destabilise them.“Millions of Nigerian children ought not to be subjected to this periodic trauma over attempts to deny them quality secondary education by adults bent on turning the unity colleges into their private estates,” he added.He argued that the unity schools were established by Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, to foster national integration by bringing together children from different ethnic, religious and social backgrounds.“That the schools have continued to wax stronger today and have grown to 120, 60 years after they were established, is eloquent testimony to Sir Balewa’s ingenuity and vision.“The least the present generation of political leaders can do is sustain the institutions as a legacy for national integration rather than sell them to private entrepreneurs so they become accessible only to children of the privileged,” he said.The union maintained that apart from likely increases in school fees, concessioning the schools could also result in widespread job losses among teachers and other employees.KCOBA had, on Monday, announced that the Federal Government approved the concession of King’s College, describing the decision as the beginning of a “King’s College Renaissance.”Its President, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, however, pointed out that the arrangement was neither a sale nor privatisation of the institution but a new governance framework through which the association would partner with the Federal Government to restore and modernise the college.“It is not the sale of King’s College. It is not the privatisation of King’s College. It is not the abandonment of King’s College by the Federal Government.“Rather, it is the establishment of a new governance framework through which KCOBA will partner with the government to restore, strengthen, modernise and sustain one of Nigeria’s greatest educational institutions,” Ibrahim-Imam had said.He assured Nigerians that the school’s federal character would remain intact and that admissions would continue to reflect national diversity.The KCOBA president also announced a N100bn Collegium Fund to finance infrastructure renewal, digital transformation, teacher development, scholarships and other interventions, stressing that the association had no intention of transferring the financial burden of the project to parents.“We believe that the children of ordinary Nigerians deserve extraordinary educational opportunities,” he said. Fajobi noted that normalcy only returned to the unity school system in 2010 after former President Goodluck Jonathan ordered the restoration of the junior secondary school components that had earlier been removed from the colleges.“It is unfortunate that 16 years after the unity school system returned to normalcy, efforts have been renewed to destabilise them.“Millions of Nigerian children ought not to be subjected to this periodic trauma over attempts to deny them quality secondary education by adults bent on turning the unity colleges into their private estates,” he added.He argued that the unity schools were established by Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, to foster national integration by bringing together children from different ethnic, religious and social backgrounds.“That the schools have continued to wax stronger today and have grown to 120, 60 years after they were established, is eloquent testimony to Sir Balewa’s ingenuity and vision.“The least the present generation of political leaders can do is sustain the institutions as a legacy for national integration rather than sell them to private entrepreneurs so they become accessible only to children of the privileged,” he said.The union maintained that apart from likely increases in school fees, concessioning the schools could also result in widespread job losses among teachers and other employees.KCOBA had, on Monday, announced that the Federal Government approved the concession of King’s College, describing the decision as the beginning of a “King’s College Renaissance.”Its President, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, however, pointed out that the arrangement was neither a sale nor privatisation of the institution but a new governance framework through which the association would partner with the Federal Government to restore and modernise the college.“It is not the sale of King’s College. It is not the privatisation of King’s College. It is not the abandonment of King’s College by the Federal Government.“Rather, it is the establishment of a new governance framework through which KCOBA will partner with the government to restore, strengthen, modernise and sustain one of Nigeria’s greatest educational institutions,” Ibrahim-Imam had said.He assured Nigerians that the school’s federal character would remain intact and that admissions would continue to reflect national diversity.The KCOBA president also announced a N100bn Collegium Fund to finance infrastructure renewal, digital transformation, teacher development, scholarships and other interventions, stressing that the association had no intention of transferring the financial burden of the project to parents.“We believe that the children of ordinary Nigerians deserve extraordinary educational opportunities,” he said. “It is unfortunate that 16 years after the unity school system returned to normalcy, efforts have been renewed to destabilise them.“Millions of Nigerian children ought not to be subjected to this periodic trauma over attempts to deny them quality secondary education by adults bent on turning the unity colleges into their private estates,” he added.He argued that the unity schools were established by Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, to foster national integration by bringing together children from different ethnic, religious and social backgrounds.“That the schools have continued to wax stronger today and have grown to 120, 60 years after they were established, is eloquent testimony to Sir Balewa’s ingenuity and vision.“The least the present generation of political leaders can do is sustain the institutions as a legacy for national integration rather than sell them to private entrepreneurs so they become accessible only to children of the privileged,” he said.The union maintained that apart from likely increases in school fees, concessioning the schools could also result in widespread job losses among teachers and other employees.KCOBA had, on Monday, announced that the Federal Government approved the concession of King’s College, describing the decision as the beginning of a “King’s College Renaissance.”Its President, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, however, pointed out that the arrangement was neither a sale nor privatisation of the institution but a new governance framework through which the association would partner with the Federal Government to restore and modernise the college.“It is not the sale of King’s College. It is not the privatisation of King’s College. It is not the abandonment of King’s College by the Federal Government.“Rather, it is the establishment of a new governance framework through which KCOBA will partner with the government to restore, strengthen, modernise and sustain one of Nigeria’s greatest educational institutions,” Ibrahim-Imam had said.He assured Nigerians that the school’s federal character would remain intact and that admissions would continue to reflect national diversity.The KCOBA president also announced a N100bn Collegium Fund to finance infrastructure renewal, digital transformation, teacher development, scholarships and other interventions, stressing that the association had no intention of transferring the financial burden of the project to parents.“We believe that the children of ordinary Nigerians deserve extraordinary educational opportunities,” he said. “Millions of Nigerian children ought not to be subjected to this periodic trauma over attempts to deny them quality secondary education by adults bent on turning the unity colleges into their private estates,” he added.He argued that the unity schools were established by Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, to foster national integration by bringing together children from different ethnic, religious and social backgrounds.“That the schools have continued to wax stronger today and have grown to 120, 60 years after they were established, is eloquent testimony to Sir Balewa’s ingenuity and vision.“The least the present generation of political leaders can do is sustain the institutions as a legacy for national integration rather than sell them to private entrepreneurs so they become accessible only to children of the privileged,” he said.The union maintained that apart from likely increases in school fees, concessioning the schools could also result in widespread job losses among teachers and other employees.KCOBA had, on Monday, announced that the Federal Government approved the concession of King’s College, describing the decision as the beginning of a “King’s College Renaissance.”Its President, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, however, pointed out that the arrangement was neither a sale nor privatisation of the institution but a new governance framework through which the association would partner with the Federal Government to restore and modernise the college.“It is not the sale of King’s College. It is not the privatisation of King’s College. It is not the abandonment of King’s College by the Federal Government.“Rather, it is the establishment of a new governance framework through which KCOBA will partner with the government to restore, strengthen, modernise and sustain one of Nigeria’s greatest educational institutions,” Ibrahim-Imam had said.He assured Nigerians that the school’s federal character would remain intact and that admissions would continue to reflect national diversity.The KCOBA president also announced a N100bn Collegium Fund to finance infrastructure renewal, digital transformation, teacher development, scholarships and other interventions, stressing that the association had no intention of transferring the financial burden of the project to parents.“We believe that the children of ordinary Nigerians deserve extraordinary educational opportunities,” he said. He argued that the unity schools were established by Nigeria’s first Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, to foster national integration by bringing together children from different ethnic, religious and social backgrounds.“That the schools have continued to wax stronger today and have grown to 120, 60 years after they were established, is eloquent testimony to Sir Balewa’s ingenuity and vision.“The least the present generation of political leaders can do is sustain the institutions as a legacy for national integration rather than sell them to private entrepreneurs so they become accessible only to children of the privileged,” he said.The union maintained that apart from likely increases in school fees, concessioning the schools could also result in widespread job losses among teachers and other employees.KCOBA had, on Monday, announced that the Federal Government approved the concession of King’s College, describing the decision as the beginning of a “King’s College Renaissance.”Its President, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, however, pointed out that the arrangement was neither a sale nor privatisation of the institution but a new governance framework through which the association would partner with the Federal Government to restore and modernise the college.“It is not the sale of King’s College. It is not the privatisation of King’s College. It is not the abandonment of King’s College by the Federal Government.“Rather, it is the establishment of a new governance framework through which KCOBA will partner with the government to restore, strengthen, modernise and sustain one of Nigeria’s greatest educational institutions,” Ibrahim-Imam had said.He assured Nigerians that the school’s federal character would remain intact and that admissions would continue to reflect national diversity.The KCOBA president also announced a N100bn Collegium Fund to finance infrastructure renewal, digital transformation, teacher development, scholarships and other interventions, stressing that the association had no intention of transferring the financial burden of the project to parents.“We believe that the children of ordinary Nigerians deserve extraordinary educational opportunities,” he said. “That the schools have continued to wax stronger today and have grown to 120, 60 years after they were established, is eloquent testimony to Sir Balewa’s ingenuity and vision.“The least the present generation of political leaders can do is sustain the institutions as a legacy for national integration rather than sell them to private entrepreneurs so they become accessible only to children of the privileged,” he said.The union maintained that apart from likely increases in school fees, concessioning the schools could also result in widespread job losses among teachers and other employees.KCOBA had, on Monday, announced that the Federal Government approved the concession of King’s College, describing the decision as the beginning of a “King’s College Renaissance.”Its President, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, however, pointed out that the arrangement was neither a sale nor privatisation of the institution but a new governance framework through which the association would partner with the Federal Government to restore and modernise the college.“It is not the sale of King’s College. It is not the privatisation of King’s College. It is not the abandonment of King’s College by the Federal Government.“Rather, it is the establishment of a new governance framework through which KCOBA will partner with the government to restore, strengthen, modernise and sustain one of Nigeria’s greatest educational institutions,” Ibrahim-Imam had said.He assured Nigerians that the school’s federal character would remain intact and that admissions would continue to reflect national diversity.The KCOBA president also announced a N100bn Collegium Fund to finance infrastructure renewal, digital transformation, teacher development, scholarships and other interventions, stressing that the association had no intention of transferring the financial burden of the project to parents.“We believe that the children of ordinary Nigerians deserve extraordinary educational opportunities,” he said. “The least the present generation of political leaders can do is sustain the institutions as a legacy for national integration rather than sell them to private entrepreneurs so they become accessible only to children of the privileged,” he said.The union maintained that apart from likely increases in school fees, concessioning the schools could also result in widespread job losses among teachers and other employees.KCOBA had, on Monday, announced that the Federal Government approved the concession of King’s College, describing the decision as the beginning of a “King’s College Renaissance.”Its President, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, however, pointed out that the arrangement was neither a sale nor privatisation of the institution but a new governance framework through which the association would partner with the Federal Government to restore and modernise the college.“It is not the sale of King’s College. It is not the privatisation of King’s College. It is not the abandonment of King’s College by the Federal Government.“Rather, it is the establishment of a new governance framework through which KCOBA will partner with the government to restore, strengthen, modernise and sustain one of Nigeria’s greatest educational institutions,” Ibrahim-Imam had said.He assured Nigerians that the school’s federal character would remain intact and that admissions would continue to reflect national diversity.The KCOBA president also announced a N100bn Collegium Fund to finance infrastructure renewal, digital transformation, teacher development, scholarships and other interventions, stressing that the association had no intention of transferring the financial burden of the project to parents.“We believe that the children of ordinary Nigerians deserve extraordinary educational opportunities,” he said. The union maintained that apart from likely increases in school fees, concessioning the schools could also result in widespread job losses among teachers and other employees.KCOBA had, on Monday, announced that the Federal Government approved the concession of King’s College, describing the decision as the beginning of a “King’s College Renaissance.”Its President, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, however, pointed out that the arrangement was neither a sale nor privatisation of the institution but a new governance framework through which the association would partner with the Federal Government to restore and modernise the college.“It is not the sale of King’s College. It is not the privatisation of King’s College. It is not the abandonment of King’s College by the Federal Government.“Rather, it is the establishment of a new governance framework through which KCOBA will partner with the government to restore, strengthen, modernise and sustain one of Nigeria’s greatest educational institutions,” Ibrahim-Imam had said.He assured Nigerians that the school’s federal character would remain intact and that admissions would continue to reflect national diversity.The KCOBA president also announced a N100bn Collegium Fund to finance infrastructure renewal, digital transformation, teacher development, scholarships and other interventions, stressing that the association had no intention of transferring the financial burden of the project to parents.“We believe that the children of ordinary Nigerians deserve extraordinary educational opportunities,” he said. KCOBA had, on Monday, announced that the Federal Government approved the concession of King’s College, describing the decision as the beginning of a “King’s College Renaissance.”Its President, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, however, pointed out that the arrangement was neither a sale nor privatisation of the institution but a new governance framework through which the association would partner with the Federal Government to restore and modernise the college.“It is not the sale of King’s College. It is not the privatisation of King’s College. It is not the abandonment of King’s College by the Federal Government.“Rather, it is the establishment of a new governance framework through which KCOBA will partner with the government to restore, strengthen, modernise and sustain one of Nigeria’s greatest educational institutions,” Ibrahim-Imam had said.He assured Nigerians that the school’s federal character would remain intact and that admissions would continue to reflect national diversity.The KCOBA president also announced a N100bn Collegium Fund to finance infrastructure renewal, digital transformation, teacher development, scholarships and other interventions, stressing that the association had no intention of transferring the financial burden of the project to parents.“We believe that the children of ordinary Nigerians deserve extraordinary educational opportunities,” he said. Its President, Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, however, pointed out that the arrangement was neither a sale nor privatisation of the institution but a new governance framework through which the association would partner with the Federal Government to restore and modernise the college.“It is not the sale of King’s College. It is not the privatisation of King’s College. It is not the abandonment of King’s College by the Federal Government.“Rather, it is the establishment of a new governance framework through which KCOBA will partner with the government to restore, strengthen, modernise and sustain one of Nigeria’s greatest educational institutions,” Ibrahim-Imam had said.He assured Nigerians that the school’s federal character would remain intact and that admissions would continue to reflect national diversity.The KCOBA president also announced a N100bn Collegium Fund to finance infrastructure renewal, digital transformation, teacher development, scholarships and other interventions, stressing that the association had no intention of transferring the financial burden of the project to parents.“We believe that the children of ordinary Nigerians deserve extraordinary educational opportunities,” he said. “It is not the sale of King’s College. It is not the privatisation of King’s College. It is not the abandonment of King’s College by the Federal Government.“Rather, it is the establishment of a new governance framework through which KCOBA will partner with the government to restore, strengthen, modernise and sustain one of Nigeria’s greatest educational institutions,” Ibrahim-Imam had said.He assured Nigerians that the school’s federal character would remain intact and that admissions would continue to reflect national diversity.The KCOBA president also announced a N100bn Collegium Fund to finance infrastructure renewal, digital transformation, teacher development, scholarships and other interventions, stressing that the association had no intention of transferring the financial burden of the project to parents.“We believe that the children of ordinary Nigerians deserve extraordinary educational opportunities,” he said. “Rather, it is the establishment of a new governance framework through which KCOBA will partner with the government to restore, strengthen, modernise and sustain one of Nigeria’s greatest educational institutions,” Ibrahim-Imam had said.He assured Nigerians that the school’s federal character would remain intact and that admissions would continue to reflect national diversity.The KCOBA president also announced a N100bn Collegium Fund to finance infrastructure renewal, digital transformation, teacher development, scholarships and other interventions, stressing that the association had no intention of transferring the financial burden of the project to parents.“We believe that the children of ordinary Nigerians deserve extraordinary educational opportunities,” he said. He assured Nigerians that the school’s federal character would remain intact and that admissions would continue to reflect national diversity.The KCOBA president also announced a N100bn Collegium Fund to finance infrastructure renewal, digital transformation, teacher development, scholarships and other interventions, stressing that the association had no intention of transferring the financial burden of the project to parents.“We believe that the children of ordinary Nigerians deserve extraordinary educational opportunities,” he said. The KCOBA president also announced a N100bn Collegium Fund to finance infrastructure renewal, digital transformation, teacher development, scholarships and other interventions, stressing that the association had no intention of transferring the financial burden of the project to parents.“We believe that the children of ordinary Nigerians deserve extraordinary educational opportunities,” he said. “We believe that the children of ordinary Nigerians deserve extraordinary educational opportunities,” he said.