Wike approves reconstruction of schools where pupils learn from bare floor

Favour Ishember, Abuja

Relief came yesterday for the pupils of LEA Primary School, Bagusa, in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), as the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, approved the construction of modern classroom blocks to ensure effective teaching and learning in the school.

Addressing the journalists after an inspection tour of the school, which was in a very deplorable state, the Mandate Secretary, FCT Education Secretariat, Danlami Ihayyo, said it was unfortunate that the pupil had to learn under such an environment.

The walless school, which housed six different classes, including a creche, with a population of almost 200 pupils, had barely 16 desks. Of the six classes, only the creche section had a cement floor, while the rest of the classes were bare floor.

Due to the limited number of sits, most of the students had to sit on the bare floor to learn.

The Mandated Secretary revealed that on reading about the state of the school, the FCT Minister quickly ordered an on the spot accessment to ensure immediate interventions.

Speaking further, he announced the minister’s approval for the immediate construction of a block of four classrooms and the completion of another block of three classrooms, which was built by the Bagusa community.

“We came for inspection of this school because we learned that the school was established here by the previous administration. After the establishment of the school, there was no single structure provided by the previous administration.

“So, it came to our notice when we saw a post in one of the newspapers, so the Minister of FCT directed us to come and inspect the school so that the minister will see how he can intervene so that the school will look very nice and the children will learn in a very conducive environment.

“The Minister has directed that I come and supervise the school so that in no time, the construction will commence in this school.

“We are going to convert the school from the current structure to a new modern structure where both the primary and the junior secondary school will be constructed here so that the pupils will learn from primary one to six in a conducive environment. Again, at the same time, from Junior Secondary School one to three in this premises.

“We are expecting the complete six classroom blocks (six classroom block of four classroom and completion of this one started by the community).

“So, we are going to complete it, and then we are going to construct a new block of four classrooms through Universal Education Commission (UBEC) intervention through their counterpart funding of 2023.

“The FCT minister has also directed the construction of an additional one block of four classrooms. So that JSS one, JSS two, and JSS three will continue from here.” He said

Ihayyo, however, warned those who encroached on the school land that they should vacate the land before the bulldozers start rolling on the illegal structures.