Mariam Akinloye
-As grand opening suspended
Although, the planned grand opening of the newly established Ibelefun Junior Secondary School, Ibeshe in Igbogbo/Bayeku Local Council Area of Ikorodu Division, Lagos State, Southwest, Nigeria, facilitated by the Councilor representing the area, Hon. Arowolo Mathew Kolawole and the Joint Community Development Association, could not hold as planned, dignitaries and residents that were at the school on Monday commended the development.
It was gathered that the officials of Ministry of Education that visited advised against any ceremony as they said that the school still requires lots of facilities in order to make it conducive for learning.
We also gathered that the school is awaiting the list of enrolled students for the school this week for the full academic acitivities to commenced.
Meanwhile, Rep. Babajimi Benson, the representative of the Ikorodu Federal Constituency, who also visited the school, commended the Councilor and the community for the development of the secondary school in Ibelefun.
The lawmaker was represented by Mr Rasheed Aregbesola, the Constituency Manager, Ikorodu Federal Constituency, who met with the Principal and took a tour of the school during his visit on Monday.
The lawmaker promised to support with the provision of facilities that would make the school conducive for learning.
“I have met with the Principal and we were able to look at other things that we can do to make the school much better for the students”, he said.
“We understand the fact that he might not have the capacity as a Councilor to provide everything that they needed in the school. We actually look at assisting the school with more chairs and also in the area of the fence. There is need to raise it higher since the newly created junior school has been carved out of the primary school.
“But majorly, we are going to be looking into the provision of more chairs and other facilities that can be used to enhance learning in the school”, Rep. Benson emphasized.
The facilitator of the school, Hon. Arowolo Mathew Kolawole, Councilor representing Ward C4, Igbogbo/Baiyeku Local Council Development Area (LCDA), explaining reasons for the cancelation of the planned ceremony, said that the community is more interested in the commencement of academic exercise.
“The celebration does not matter as much as the resumption. That is why the celebration was shelved. For the resumption, since we still have lots of work to do, what really matters most is that we must allow the school to start running”, he said.
“We have been able to fix the fence up to about 60% and the toilet facilities and borehole water system have been completed. The compound has also been graded.
“The government has deployed teachers, and there is need to focus on the resumption of our students, which we do not want to jeopardize. We don’t want to have face – off with the authority since they said that there is no need for the ceremony”, Hon. Arowolo said.
He said that the Permanent Secretary and other officials of the Ministry of Education, that came to inspect the school on Monday, had fruitful discussions with the community.
“The Permanent Secretary came with his entourage to check the school and some of my party leaders and members also came to inspect the school. We have also been able to resolve a lot of things”, he said
“We are grateful to them for their support and also to my leaders and the representative of Ikorodu Federal Constituency, Hon. Babajimi Benson, for their support towards the project”.
Some of the residents that spoke with our reporter, commended the establishment of the school, and appealed to the government to ensure that the school is further developed to serve the community.
