Former Chief Whip of the Senate, Rowland Owie, is incensed at the decision by the federal government to hand over the 116-year-old Kings College, Lagos, to its Old Boys Association, expressing grave concern that it was an attempt to destroy the unity schools, described as the remaining symbols of unity in the country.

Senator Owie particularly expressed shock and disappointment 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 programmes started could be talking about privatising education.

In an outburst over the controversial concession of the institution to the Kings College Old Boys Association, (KCOBA) on Tuesday in Benin City, Edo State, Owie, called for an immediate reversal of the concessioning, a development that is being opposed by unity schools across the country, resulting in a solidarity national strike action by staff unions.

The staff 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.”

Kicking against this development, 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.”