Amid public outrage over the concessioning of the famous Kings College, Lagos to the Old Boys Association, former Chief Whip of the Senate, Sir Rowland Owie has expressed disappointment in President Bola Tinubu over his perceived attempt to destroy unity schools by privatising them, describing the action as the “highest level of insanity”.
Senator Owie expressed shock that President Tinubu, who comes from the old Western Region, which was controlled by the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria where free education and free health started could be talking about privatising education.
Newsmata.com.ng reports that Owie, a chieftain of the National Democratic Congress, NDC, on Tuesday reacted angrily to the controversial concession of the 116-year-old institution to the Kings College Old Boys Association, (KCOBA) a development that is being resisted by unity schools across the country, which prompted a solidarity national strike action by staff unions.
They feared that a similar fate awaited all other unity schools in the country if the federal government succeeded with the Kings College, a decision they saw as a surreptitious way to privatise the school.
Recall that the Federal Ministry of Education had in a letter dated September 4, 2026, confirmed that the concession of the college to KCOBA had been concluded and directed the immediate commencement of the handover.
The letter, signed by the Director Overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Dr O. P. Olasoju-David, on behalf of the Minister of Education, stated, “Following the conclusion of all necessary processes up to the signing of the Concession Agreement, King’s College, Lagos has been concessioned to King’s College Old Boys’ Association.
“Consequently, the Ministry has concluded all necessary arrangements to hand over the College to King’s College Old Boys’ Association with immediate effect for the implementation of the agreement therein, including the constitution of a Transition Committee.”
“The transition committee is to ensure a seamless transition of the college management to KCOBA within six months, after which funding of the college from Federation Account will be stopped.”
Reacting to the development in Benin City, Edo State, Owie noted that the Unity Schools were the remaining symbols of unity in the country which concession must not be allowed to stand.
“This is trying to destroy unity schools. You want to privatise them? It is shocking that the president of a nation that comes from old Western Region, which was controlled by the old UPN (Unity Party of Nigeria) where free education started, free health, can now be talking about privatising education.
“This is the highest level of insanity; insanity in body, insanity in health, insanity in administration. It is unfortunate that Tinubu will be the one doing this. It shows certainly that there is madness in this government.
“This policy should be reversed immediately so that the unity of our country will be sustained.”
