- Ebonyi state public primary schools in total ruins, as low turnout of pupils is being witnessed in the state
- Residents blame lack of prompt payment of teachers’ salary on the ugly situation
- Concerned residents petition state government, appeal for immediate action
There is growing disaffection and anger in Ebonyi state following gradual collapse of public primary school facilities.
WITHIN NIGERIA source revealed that for decades now, the state government has allegedly turned blind eye to the growing erosion and dilapidation of the public school facilities especially that of primary school section.
At Agueke Orieagu Isu Primary school in Onicha local government area of the state, our reporter gathered that teachers have literally abandoned the school and pupils. At 9am on Wednesday, June 11, there was no teacher seen in the school. The number of pupils who attended the school were twelve in number.
Some of them who spoke to our reporter under anonymity explained that “our teachers normally come by 11am and by 1pm, we have dismissed.”
Narrating further, one of the pupils said, “we don’t come to school every day. This is because we don’t know when our teachers will come to school.”
Checks by our reporter revealed that these teachers are being owed not less than six months arrears of salary by the state government.
Aside low enrolment and attendance of public primary schools in the state, some of these schools have gone into dilapidation.
At Aguebele Primary school, Ngbo Ohaukwu local government area of the state, pupils are seing taking lessons under the tree as their school buildings have collapsed.
Lamenting the ugly situation, one of the indigenes of the state Sir Nwoba Chika Nwoba explained that “this is how pupils take lessons every day at Aguebele Primary School in Ngbo, Ohaukwu LGA of Ebonyi State for years now. Ngbo is a foot away from Abakaliki, Ebonyi State’s capital. I’m pretty sure that over 400 primary and secondary schools are in this condition in Ebonyi currently. Look at the board in front of them. This is child education abuse. We should have overgrown this by now.”
Expressing his disaffection further, Sir Nwoba said that “this should bother Ebonyi State Government. Once rain starts dropping, learning and teaching activities end for the day. Inasmuch as all these can’t be tackled simultaneously, there are concerns that should be given priority attention. I don’t know what value the local government chairmen are offer to their people and systems.”
As the situation continues to worsen, Obasi Obinna Chris, an indigene of Umobor Akaeze in Ivo local government area of the state petitioned the state government, appealing for the renovation of the dilapidated Umobor Community Primary School, Akaeze.
In his letter dated June 4, 2025, entitled “Grossly deplorable state of Akaeze public schools (Umobor Community primary school Umobor Akaeze in focus) and obtained by WITHIN NIGERIA, Mr. Obasi appealed to the state government for the urgent intervention in the school.
The letter further read thus;
PASSIONATE APPEAL FOR URGENT INTERVENTION BY THE EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR OF EBONYI STATE-
HE, Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru(ONWA).
Your excellency, may I use this avenue to draw your excellency’s attention to the unacceptable, despicable and deplorable state of most of our public schools in Akaeze, using the recent pictures and video attached to this as sufficient evidence to show that despite your excellency’s desire to leave indelible marks in education; your administration is obviously lagging behind as far as government presence is concerned in issues bordering on Education and other key infrastructure in Akaeze, IVO LGA.
Our dear Governor, it is very unfortunate and worrisome to note that this school whose pictures and video is attached to this appeal is the true nature of the classrooms in Akaeze public schools, where our pupils are expected to resume for learning as schools resumes for academic activities across the State.
Your excellency, as a lover of Education and based on your administration’s track record in improving quality of Education in Ebonyi State, this is very undeserving to be called a public school where our future leaders are expected to pass through and acquire basic education to prepare them for the dynamic future.
Appeal:
The quality of the infrastructure in any citadel of learning is directly proportional to the quality of education in any academic institution.
Suffice to state that Akaeze pupils are poorly educated based on the overall deplorable state of our public schools.
I therefore, on behalf of the good people of Akaeze DC, especially the peace-loving UMOBOR community instructively appeal to your excellency to -through the necessary government ministries -expedite action and ensure the reversal of this ugly trend of Education in Akaeze, by aggressively embarking on Supervisions of our public schools and immediate rehabilitation of our schools especially the UMOBOR COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL and others, for optimal performance of both teachers and pupils in our public schools in Akaeze, and beyond.
We appreciate your excellency for the public school you’re currently building at Ugwuagba, Akaeze.
In any case, all efforts by our reporter to get the reaction of the state commissioner for Education, Dr. Onyebuchi Chima on the matter proved abortive as his phone call was not going through.
