Delta seeks communities’ assistance to check incessant school vandalism

Some of pupils of Okome Primary School 

The Delta State Government has appealed for the assistance of communities in the protection and security of educational infrastructure in the state.

Its Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr Chiedu Ebie, told a reporter that vandalism and theft of public school facilities was a ``big problem’’ in Delta.

"One of the problems we have today is the high rate of theft and burglary in our schools.

"Every week we get reports on that, in addition to land encroachment by communities. We have security men guarding public schools in the state but they are not armed.

"Government cannot do it alone; this is why communities should assist in proper policing of public schools in their domains otherwise the situation will remain," he said.

The commissioner was responding to enquiry on a similar situation at Okome Primary School, Edjemuonyavwe-Oghara in Ethiope West Local Government Area of the state.  

Photographs circulating on social media show ramshackle and vandalised structures with pupils either standing or sitting on the floor of their classrooms.

The school’s head teacher, Mr Lucky Adjigbere, who confirmed the authenticity of the photographs, described the situation as ``very bad’’.

``There are eight classroom blocks in the school; three were renovated by the state government in 2011 while the remaining five are dilapidated and seriously begging for renovation.

``The renovated blocks have been vandalised by miscreants, with their windows, ceilings, furniture as well as register and other vital school documents carted away. 

``Out of about 1,350 pupils in the school, only less than 100 have seats which are provided by their parents. The rest sit on the floor with mats, sacks and their school bags.’’

Adjigbere said the vandalism was carried out mostly at night, adding that the five security men attached to the school worked only in the day.

He explained that he had drawn the attention of Edjemuonyavwe community, the state government and the school’s Parents Teachers Association (PTA) to the situation.

When contacted, the PTA Chairman, Mr Samson Iburu, said the association was putting security measures in place in collaboration with the community to protect the school.

Iburu blamed incessant vandalism of public schools in the community on low orientation and poor attitude of the people to public facilities.

``The problem here is the low mentality of our people. They don’t have the understanding that maintenance and security of public facilities is a collective responsibility,’’ he said.

The commissioner said that the state government was looking into the situation at Okome Primary School.

``You have drawn my attention to the situation, so we are looking into it.

``We have over 1000 primary schools in the state, and it is expected that some of them will have dilapidated structures. We are trying very hard to attend to as many as possible.

``We are in the process of distributing furniture to schools in Ethiope West under the constituency project of the state lawmaker from the area, and I am sure that particular school will benefit.’’

Meanwhile, the head teacher has confirmed the delivery of 500 chairs to the school on Monday, coming barely six days after the commissioner’s promise.

``They have also promised to renovate three blocks in the school after which another 500 chairs would be delivered.’’

He expressed appreciation to the state government for the gesture, and appealed to the community leadership to take a strong position on the twin evils of vandalism and theft in the school.