•No teachers for Maths, other core subjects — Gougou •Declare emergency in schools — Group
By Chancel Bomadi Sunday
BOMADI — For pupils of Ogo-Eze Primary School and students of Ogo-Eze Secondary Commercial School in Delta State, it’s a sad story. They learn on bare floors in their classrooms, with crawling insects and reptiles all over. There is the case of severe shortage of teachers.
The two schools, located in Ogodobiri and Ezebiri communities in Bomadi Local Government Area, present a disturbing picture of neglect that community leaders say requires urgent government intervention.
Ogodobiri and Ezebiri are sister communities situated along the banks of the Forcados River in the creeks of Delta State. Collectively known as Ogo-Eze Community, they share the two schools, making their deteriorating condition a concern for families across both communities.
The Chairman of Ogodobiri Community, Mr Koboye Benin, called on the state government to urgently provide desks for pupils, students and teachers, renovate the school buildings and deploy more teachers. He lamented the shortage of furniture and teaching personnel, warning that the deficiencies were undermining the children’s education. He appealed to the government to provide the basic facilities and manpower required to restore effective teaching and learning.
The Amanana-Owei of Ogo-Eze Community, Archbishop Stephen Overy, also expressed concern over the condition of the classroom blocks, describing the environment in which pupils, students and teachers operate as harsh and potentially dangerous to their health.
“Both the primary and secondary school buildings are long overdue for renovation, and I appeal to the government to come to the aid of our children. We are suffering, and action must be taken without further delay,” he said. The community leader’s appeal reflects growing anxiety among residents who fear that continued neglect could further compromise the quality of education available to their children.
The situation at Ogo-Eze Secondary Commercial School is particularly troubling, according to its Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) Chairman, Pastor Jeremiah Gougou. He said students were forced to sit on bare floor or squeeze onto the few available desks during lessons, leaving them exposed to the discomfort of rain and sunshine where classrooms offer inadequate protection.
“Our students sit on the floor to learn, while others occupy the dilapidated desks during lectures, which is unfortunate,” he said.
Gougou also decried the shortage of teachers, particularly in core subjects such as Mathematics, English Language, Chemistry and Biology. “There are no teachers available to teach our students because we lack teachers in Mathematics, English Language, Chemistry and Biology. One teacher is burdened with the task of moving from one subject to another. The total number of teachers in the school is no more than three or four,” he said.
The shortage, he explained, places an enormous burden on the few available teachers and raises concerns about the students’ ability to receive adequate instruction across the curriculum.
Political leaders demand a state of emergency
The Bomadi Political Leaders Forum (BPLF) has joined the call for urgent intervention, urging Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to take decisive action to rescue the two schools. The forum called for a state of emergency to be declared on the schools, citing their dilapidated infrastructure, inadequate furniture, shortage of teachers and unsafe learning conditions.
Its Chairman, Comrade Felix Okpe, said the forum’s visit to the schools had reinforced the need for immediate government action. Speaking to NDV over the weekend, Okpe said the condition of the schools was unacceptable and called for a comprehensive rehabilitation programme to restore a safe and functional learning environment.
“We are conveying this message to the Governor of Delta State . There is urgent need for renovation of the schools. It is evident that our people are dissatisfied with their children having to learn in such dilapidated classrooms,” he said.
Okpe expressed particular concern over the condition of Ogo-Eze Secondary Commercial School, which he said was established in 1978 but now faced severe infrastructure and staffing challenges. He reiterated that the school lacked teachers for core subjects .
“We did not expect our children sitting on a floor with reptiles and ants while attending their lessons; this is an aberration,” he said.
Beyond the need to renovate the classroom blocks and recruit more teachers, Okpe said the secondary school also lacked computers and other office equipment expected of a commercial institution.
He warned that the deteriorating condition of the schools was already affecting enrolment, with many parents reportedly transferring their children to schools outside the Ogo-Eze community.
The forum appealed to the governor to intervene without delay and urged the community’s representatives in the National Assembly and Delta State House of Assembly to support efforts to rehabilitate the schools.
Governor Oborevwori recently spoke of move by his administration to commence rehabilitation of delapidated schools in the state.
Our reporter could not confirm if Ogo-Eze Primary School and Ogo-Eze Secondary Commercial School were included in the proposed rehabilitation programme.
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