King’s College Concession Parents, Workers Demand Evidence from Alausa Over N20m Admission Claim

King’s College parents and workers have challenged Education Minister Tunji Alausa to provide evidence of N20m admission allegations amid growing opposition to the school's concession.

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, has come under criticism from workers and parents of King’s College, Lagos, following allegations against Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) and their executives over the proposed concession of the 117-year-old institution.

The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) and PTA representatives have challenged the minister to provide evidence to support his allegations, accusing him of attempting to discredit stakeholders opposed to the Federal Government’s decision to hand over the management of the college to the King’s College Old Boys Association (KCOBA).

The controversy followed the Federal Government’s decision to transfer the running, funding and management of King’s College to its old students’ association. The move triggered protests by education workers and parents, disrupting the resumption of academic activities for the 2026/2027 session across 115 federal unity schools.

Reacting to the minister’s allegations, the Lagos State Chairman of ASCSN, Olusola Omidiji, criticised the Federal Ministry of Education, arguing that PTAs have played significant roles in keeping federal unity schools operational.

Omidiji noted that PTAs have employed teachers, cleaners, cooks, nurses and other support staff while providing classrooms, hostels, vehicles and other essential facilities to complement government funding.

He also raised concerns about the stagnation of teachers’ promotions and inadequate working tools for quality assurance officials in the ministry, urging the government to investigate the challenges facing federal unity schools.

In a separate statement, PTA chairpersons from several federal unity schools rejected what they described as sweeping allegations against parents and PTA executives.

The parents specifically challenged Alausa to provide evidence for his claim that some PTA executives were involved in selling admission slots for as much as N20 million.

They questioned the authority of PTA chairpersons over admissions, demanding that the minister identify the schools, officials, transactions and documents linked to the alleged payments.

The PTA representatives also challenged the minister to substantiate his claim that some chairpersons raised or paid between N100 million and N150 million in legal fees.

They maintained that serious allegations should be backed by verifiable evidence and investigated by the appropriate authorities rather than used to discredit PTA executives across the country.

The parents further insisted that King’s College is a public institution belonging to Nigerians and should not be treated as the private property of either its PTA or old students’ association.

They called on the Federal Government to make the concession agreement public, including its duration, financial commitments, performance targets, termination clauses and safeguards for students and staff.

The PTA chairpersons also highlighted the contributions of parents to the maintenance and daily operations of federal unity schools.

According to them, PTA levies and other approved contributions have helped fund additional teachers, security, sanitation, infrastructure repairs, teaching materials and student welfare.

They argued that parents should not be portrayed negatively for supporting schools where government funding has been inadequate.

The representatives also welcomed the reported approval for the consideration of thousands of long-serving PTA-employed teachers for absorption into the Federal Civil Service. However, they urged the ministry to publish the list of beneficiaries and the implementation framework.

While acknowledging the contributions of King’s College alumni, the parents stressed that alumni support should not be equated with ownership of a public institution.

They called for dialogue, transparency and accountability, urging the government to address the concerns of parents, teachers and other stakeholders.

The controversy surrounding King’s College is part of wider disagreements over the management and proposed concession of federal unity schools.

At Federal Government College (FGC), Kano, the Old Students Association and the Unity Schools Old Students Association (USOSA) have challenged a proposed public-private partnership involving the college's land.

The groups alleged that about 33 hectares, representing 40 per cent of the school's land along Zaria Road, were allocated to a developer in exchange for infrastructure valued at ₦8.5 billion, including hostels, classrooms, a clinic and a sports complex.

The alumni groups, however, valued the land at approximately ₦36 billion and proposed raising ₦5 billion through a foundation as an alternative. They have protested in Lagos, Abuja and Kano and petitioned President Bola Tinubu over the arrangement.

A similar disagreement has emerged at FGC, Orozo, over plans to allocate part of the school's land to a developer.

Meanwhile, the host community of Federal Government College, Port Harcourt, in Rivers State, has also rejected the alleged concession plan.

In a statement signed by Elieke Community Council President Nyebuchi Amadi and Secretary John Wagbara, the community opposed the proposed concession and called for the institution to remain a federal government college serving Nigerians.

The growing disagreements have intensified calls for transparency, stakeholder consultation and accountability in decisions affecting federal unity schools.