Dilapidation and neglect could only be used to describe the state of community secondary school, Ede-Oballa, Nsukka local government area of Enugu state.
WITHIN NIGERIA source revealed that the school which has trained many technocrats and engineers in the council area has been in ruins for almost as many school blocks are left to deteriorate.
In any case, when our reporter visited the school shortly before the closure for the Easter break, it was gathered that many of the school blocks have leaking roofs and tattered floor.
Many of the teachers did not agree to speak to our reporter for fear of victimization.
One of the teachers who spoke to WITHIN NIGERIA under anonymity explained that ” we see hell here. I have been in this school for ten years now and there has never been any rainy season we heave a sigh of relief. Every year, as rainy season approaches, we become apprehensive because we don’t know what will happen.”
Narrating further, the teacher told our reporter that ” this year is even worse because the community is not even interested in the rehabilitation of the school while the state government has focused it’s attention on the smart schools which is currently not working well.
” When we resume in April, we might see that the roof of these school blocks might have been pulled away by the wind or the walls fallen off. Anything is possible now because many of the structures are already weak and dilapidated.”
When our reporter sought to speak with the principal of the school, he was said to have gone to Enugu, the state capital for official engagement.
Michael Ugwuona is ex-student of the school. He told WITHIN NIGERIA that ” the condition of the school is very appalling. I always wonder why this school should be left to rot away despite the fact that the community has so many notable people who can talk to the state government about the deplorable condition of the school.
“Again the school has also produced so many notable people in the society. I wish to state here that if these school buildings are left without any urgent attention, they might likely collapse before the end of this year’s rainy season ”
Appealing to the state government, Mr. Ugwuona stated that ” I am appealing to the state government to come to the urgent rescue of community secondary school Ede-Oballa. I strongly believe that the state governor will come to the rescue of the school.”
However, all efforts to get the reaction of the state commissioner for Education Prof. Ndubueze Mbah on the matter proved abortive as he was not picking his calls.
