Kings College PTA plans N180m hostel

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The Parent-Teachers’ Association of King’s College, Lagos, plans to tackle some infrastructure challenges in the institution by constructing of a five-storey ultra modern hostel worth N180 million.

The Chairman of the association, Mr Emman Oriakhi, said in Lagos on Saturday that arrangements had been concluded for a fund raising ceremony in October for the project.

Oriakhi said that the foremost all boys’ institution, founded 104 years ago by British colonial masters, had remained a force to reckon with academically, in spite of the challenges it had faced.

“I must first start by commending the efforts of the current administration in its transformation agenda and its quest to restore the glory of the 102 unity colleges across the nation, King’s College inclusive.

“It is clear that government cannot do everything all alone, going by the numerous national issues jostling for attention.

“We cannot just fold our arms and watch while our children study under deplorable conditions without playing our own role as stakeholders.

“So it is based on this that we decided to take up some of the infrastructure challenges,” he said.

Oriakhi, who described the hostel project as ` state-of-the art’, said that when completed, it would be multipurpose, with facilities, such as dining halls and staff quarters.

He said that the association was working assiduously to complete the lighting project it embarked upon at the institution’s annex at Victoria Island before the resumption for the 2012/2013 academic session.

“We are set to introduce solar energy at the two campuses.

“You know in an institution such as this, water and cleanliness go together and that informed our plan to instal a source of constant power supply that would in-turn ensure that water is available always.

“If we can tackle these critical issues of accommodation and light in these campuses, then I can assure you that more than half of the infrastructure challenges in these two campuses would be permanently put to rest.

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“However, having said all these, we want to appeal to government to intensify efforts in the area of recruiting more qualified teaching staff, especially in core subjects,” he said.

According to him, the association currently has more than 36 teachers for core subjects in its payroll, in its bid to augment the present crop of teaching staff in the institution.

“We are currently paying over N2 million monthly to both teaching and non-teaching staff we recruited to assist the current crop of teachers in the college.

“This goes to tell you the level of our commitment in assisting government in its effort to reposition King’s College, Lagos.

The PTA chairman, however, expressed dissatisfaction with the level of funding of the institution by government and called for a review.

He said it was improper to disburse the same amount of money for the running of the unity colleges across board considering that some had higher carrying capacity and more challenges than others.

Mr Segun Owolabi, Chairman of the Fund Raising Committee, said that the hostel project would be completed and delivered to the college in few months.

Owolabi told journalists at a news conference on Saturday that the hostel, to be furnished with modern facilities, when completed, would house 300 students.

He said the fund raising ceremony for the project would also be used as part of activities lined up by the association to celebrate the institution’s Founder’s Day anniversary scheduled for October.

He said that the hostel project became necessary because the management of the college was considering an expansion of the Senior Secondary arm of the institution.

“We want to seize the opportunity of the Fund Raising to solicit for funds from corporate organizations, philanthropists, royal fathers and individuals who believe in our cause.

“We shall be building it from the scratch to be an ultra modern hostel and not a makeshift one and so all the basic facilities expected would be put in place,’’ Owolabi said. (NAN)

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