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Infrastructure major challenge in King’s College — Apata
The Chairman, 2023 King’s Week Planning Committee, Mr Olumide Apata, says infrastructure has been a major challenge in Kings College.
Apata said this at a news conference in Lagos on Tuesday.
King’s College Lagos, an all boys dual campus secondary school, was established on Sept. 20, 1909, by an Act of British Parliament.
Apata said that the Old Boys Association of the college been doing all it could to intervene, in order to ensure that it remained relevant and afloat.
“We know that a holistic intervention will definitely be necessary because King’s College Lagos, does not belong to just us. It is a property of Nigeria.
“This 114-year-old institution belongs to Nigeria; it is therefore in our interest to keep it up and running and in great condition,” he said.
Apata, who spoke on activities to commemorate the 114th anniversary college, .disclosed that the Minister of Works, Sen. David Umahi, would be hosted as part of the events, to afford him first hand information concerning the state of infrastructure in the school.
“On that day, we expect all the Old Boys across all the generations in attendance for us to have a big conversation,” he stated.
Apata said that Umahi would be hosted at a dinner on Sept. 23, as part of the events which would run from Sept. 18 to Sept. 24.
Speaking further, the chairman noted that Mr Tonye Cole, Rivers State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the 2023 election, would deliver the institution’s Founder’s Day lecture, scheduled for Sept. 20.
According to Apata, the theme of this year’s lecture is: Dismantling the Barriers; Creating a Pathway for the Emergence of Effective Leaders.
The chairman said that Funsho Doherty, the ADC governorship candidate for Lagos in the election, Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe, as well as Akin Rotimi, member of the House of Representatives, among others, were also expected to speak at the occasion.
He said that the session would be moderated by Tokunbo Shitta-Bey, Chief Medical Director, Duchess International Hospital Ikeja.
Speaking further on the week-long activities, Apata added that the association would, on Sept. 21, introduce a programme tagged ‘Careers Day for the younger Old Boys and the SS3 Students’.
He said that the aim was to provide guidance and prepare attendees for the future of work, especially with the emergence of unconventional professions.
“This will be followed by the a Jumat Service, on Friday, Sept. 22. On Saturday, we will have sporting activities, precisely a cricket match, where Old boys would relax with their families and have some fun.
“The cricket match is scheduled to take place between the Old Boys and Teams from the Nigerian Cricket Foundation. There will be a thanksgiving service on Sunday to mark the end of the celebration,” he said.
Alhaji Kashim Ibrahim-Imam, President of the old boys association, reiterated the need for the Federal Government to consider handing over the college to the Old Boys for effective administration.
He noted that as a heritage site, the Old Boys would be bound to give all at their disposal, to make it greater than its current state, if given the opportunity.
The association president noted that over the years, the Old Boys of the college had taken turns, according to sets, to invest, especially in the area of infrastructure.
According to him, the association is of the belief that the college still has a lot to offer, when it comes to human capital development.
“The Federal Government has many issues seeking for its attention, going from security, economy, foreign affairs, defense and a lot more.
“It should hands off issues concerning secondary education and allow critical stakeholders such as our association to handle the running of our schools.
“With this current dispensation therefore, it is our prayer and hope that it will rethink its stand on this,” he said.
He lauded the association, the Principal of the College, Mr Andrew Agada and the School Based Management Committee (SBMC) for their efforts in ensuring that the college remained relevant in the development of the boy child.
He assured of the association’s commitment in ensuring that the college remained a force to reckon with, in the training of young minds.
On his part, the principal, Mr Agada, also commended the association for the show of love for their institution.
According to him, since assumption of office four years ago as principal, he has enjoyed unprecedented support from the Old Boys, under the leadership of Ibrahim-Imam.
“I want to congratulate the Old Boys on this occasion of the commemoration of the anniversary of their college.
“It gives me great joy to be a part of this celebration and to witness yet another celebration.
“This association has given me reason to be happy operating here as the principal of their college. The kind of support and collaboration I have been enjoying is something I will live to cherish for a very long time,” he said.
He pleaded with members of the association not to get tired of supporting their college, as they were only leaving their footprints in the sands of time.
The Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN has warned against obstructing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) from carrying out its lawful duty .
Fagbemi’s warning is contained in a statement in Abuja.
“This is a matter of very grave concern, it is now beyond doubt that the EFCC is given power by the law to invite any person of interest to interact with them in the course of their investigations into any matter, regardless of status.
“Therefore, the least that we can all do when invited, is not to put any obstruction in the way of EFCC, but to honourably answer their invitation.
“A situation where public officials who are themselves subject of protection by law enforcement agents will set up a stratagem of obstruction to the civil and commendable efforts of the EFCC to perform its duty is to say the least, insufferably disquieting’’.
He added that running away from the law will not resolve issues at stake but only exacerbate them.
“Nigeria has a vibrant judicial system that is capable of protecting everyone who follows the rule of law in seeking protection.
“I therefore encourage anyone who has been invited by the EFCC or any other agency to immediately toe the path of decency and civility by honouring such invitation instead of embarking on a temporising self-help and escapism.
“This can only put our country in bad light before the rest of the world’’.
He said institutions of state should be allowed to function effectively and efficiently.
“I stand for the rule of law and will promptly call EFCC, and indeed any other agency to order when there is an indication of any transgressions of the fundamental rights of any Nigerian by any of the agencies’’.
NAN reports that the EFCC had on Wednesday warned members of the public that it was a criminal offence to obstruct officers of the Commission from carrying out their lawful duties.
Section 38(2)(a(b) of the EFCC Establishment Act makes it an offence to prevent officers of the Commission from carrying out their lawful duties. Culprits risk a jail term of not less than five years.
The warning , the EFCC said, became necessary against the background of the increasing tendency by persons and groups under investigation by the Commission to take the laws into their hands by recruiting thugs to obstruct lawful operations of the EFCC.
On several occasions, the anti graft agency said, operatives of the Commission have had to exercise utmost restraint in the face of such provocation to avoid a breakdown of law and order.
Some unknown gunmen have kidnapped Joshua Rogers, the ChannelsTV reporter in Port-Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
Politics Nigeria learnt that Rogers was picked up close to his residence at Rumuosi in Port Harcourt and to an unknown destination by the gunmen around 9pm on Thursday, April 11.
The reporter was driving his official ChannelsTV branded car when the hoodlums accosted, pointed a gun at him and took him away in the same vehicle.
Rogers was said to be returning from his official assignment in Government House after a trip to Andoni for a government event when the incident happened.
Already, the gunmen were said to have contacted his wife and demanded a N30million ransom for bis release.
His cameraman confirmed the incident and appealed to his abductors to set him free unconditionally.
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