By Innocent Anaba

Lagos—A 91-year-old woman, Madam Roseline Ololo, has appealed to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State to restrain the state’s Ministry of Education from going ahead to admit students into Metropolitan College and Isolo Secondary School for the 2015/2016 academic session which commences from September 2015.

The nonagenarian, in a letter to Ambode, urged him to respect an agreement which she entered into with the state on gradual handover of the school to her. The letter was written on behalf of Madam Ololo by her lawyer, Malcolm Omirhobo.

Madam Ololo and her late husband, Chief Michael Ololo, established the school through their company, Akaix West Africa Limited in 1955 with the first batch of 19 students in Surulere area of Lagos.

Following expansion, the school was relocated to the present site at Ire-Akari, Isolo in 1966 and eventually moved there in 1974.

In 1976, via the Education (Private Secondary Institutions Special Provisions) Law, the Military Government of Lagos State took over 48 private secondary schools from their owners, including Metropolitan College. In the process, Isolo Secondary School was carved out of Metropolitan College on the same expanse of land hosting the college.

However, in 2001, the administration of Bola Tinubu repealed the law and returned the said 48 private schools to their owners, but Metropolitan College was curiously not returned, a development that brought about a law suit.

Akaix West Africa had contended that the retention of part of the school was against government’s restructuring of the educational system of divesting and allowing the private sector to invest in the educational system so as to provide the conditions in which students can learn to the highest standard and prepare themselves to meet future needs.

The suit was subsequently referred for arbitration, while parties later agreed on modalities for the return of the school.

Madam Ololo was given three options for the return of the school, while she accepted the option of gradual disengagement of the students whereby government would not admit new students, and then the other students in JSS II to SSS III will be gradually disengaged from the schools.