The Vice Principal of Evbareke Secondary School in Egor Local Government Area of Edo State, Mrs Mary Izewingie, said on Tuesday that the school’s management carried out palliative works on the school after the immediate past governor, Godwin Obaseki, failed to respond to their pleas.
The Vice Principal of Students’ Affairs at the school made this statement when the Governor of the State, Monday Okpebholo, inspected the school along with several others in Egor and Ikpoba Okha local government areas.
According to her, the school’s condition has remained unchanged since 2022.
“We have cried out several times, but nobody listened to us, and learning has been difficult for our students.
“We even carried out palliative repairs ourselves, but the rains destroyed our efforts. We approached the Obaseki-led administration, but they never responded,” she said.
In his remarks, Governor Okpebholo, who was displeased with the infrastructural decay in public schools across the state, declared a state of emergency in pre-primary and post-primary schools.
Lamenting the sorry state of facilities in schools located even in urban areas, he stressed that Edo children deserve a better learning environment that would bring out the best in them.
He stated that the declaration of a state of emergency in public schools was part of his campaign promises to the people, aimed at providing modern facilities and a conducive environment for learning.
“I feel very bad about the state of the schools I inspected today. Look at the type of schools our children are attending—it is completely unacceptable.
“When I was campaigning, I told the people of Edo State that I would declare a state of emergency in our schools. I will begin with Evbareke Secondary School in Egor Local Government Area and the previous school we inspected today, Army Day Secondary School in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area, both in Edo South.
“We stopped on the road on our way to the school because erosion has cut off the road. This is not good for our children, as we want the best for them.
“From tomorrow, work will commence here, as the school has no fence, and the road leading to Army Day Secondary School has been washed away by erosion. We must provide Edo children with quality education to prepare them for the future.
“The road leading to Army Day Secondary School is known as Boundary Road, off Lucky Way. It leads to Temboga,” the governor stated.
On her part, the chairman of the State Secondary Education Board, SSEB, Omonzane Ebanehita, said that Evbareke Secondary School does not have a conducive environment for learning.
Ebanehita, however, informed the governor that the school’s management had written several letters regarding the situation, which she had previously forwarded to him.
She expressed her appreciation to the governor for visiting the school to find lasting solutions to the problems.
