Wale Jagun
-As Perm Secs, other officials visit school twice In 2 days
The Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Education, Mr Abayomi Abolaji, Tutor – General/Permanent Secretary, Education District II, Mrs Arike Adekanye and other officials of the Ministry, have visited the Odogunyan Junior Secondary School, twice in two days in an attempt to find lasting solution to the dispersal of students of the school, following the demolition of the defective buildings in the school, following the directive of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
Other buildings in the school premises have since been abandoned.
THE IMPACT had, on Sunday, published a report that the Parents’ Forum and stakeholders in Odogunyan community, have vehemently objected to the decision the State government to build structure(s) at the Ikorodu High School, for the purpose of relocating the students of the school, there permanently.
It was gathered that the government has finally reconsidered building structure(s) for the Odogunyan Junior Secondary School inside the Ikorodu High School at Apeka in Ikorodu, where the JSS students have been relocated since a state of emergency was declared on the school.
According to sources, the state government officials, on Monday, announced that the decision to build permanent structures for the Odogunyan Junior School inside the Ikorodu High School, has been jettisoned.
The Permanent Secretaries and other officials, we gathered, made a surprise visit to the school on the first day of resuming back to school after a long holiday, during which it was announced that the structure(s) that would accommodate all the students from JSS one to three, will now be constructed within the Odogunyan Senior Secondary School, because of the junior school soil texture which required serious pilling for any building to be erected.
But on Tuesday, when another state government delegation, led by one Mr Hakeem Smith, visited the school, and it was said that comprehensive tests on the soil and the remaining buildings within the Odogunyan junior school, would be carried out first, for any proper decision to be made on the construction of the building within the school or the senior school.
The team, we gathered, toured both the junior and the senior schools, said that proper test would be conducted on the remaining buildings in the junior school, especially the main building, to see if it can be renovated.
He added that the government will renovate the building if it is still proper for habitation, and also build another one for the school. He said that the tests would take about two weeks for proper decisions to be arrived at over the building and soil.
Parents and stakeholders had objected to the relocation of the children because of several accidents which involved their students who have been commuting from Odogunyan to Ikorodu High School in Apeka, Ikorodu, since a state of emergency was declared on Odogunyan Junior Secondary School.
Other reasons adduced by parents and community for their refusal to relocate the school permanently are that economic situation in the country is biting hard on them and the fear of losing the only junior school serving the large community and surrounding areas.
Mummy Zidan, Treasurer of the Parents’ Forum, who was on ground during the visit of the government officials today, said that representatives of the forum, were at the Ikorodu High School on Monday, and found out that work is no longer going on at the proposed location for the construction.
She said that they had fruitful discussion with the leader of the team that visited the school, who assured them of the government’s readiness to commence the construction of the building after necessary tests.
While commending the government for changing its decision on building classrooms at the Ikorodu High School, to accommodate students of Odongunyan Junior School, on permanent basis, she added that the parents’ forum will be ready to give maximum support to the government on reconstruction of the Odogunyan Junior Secondary School.
Vice Chairman of the Forum, Mr Isaac Thomas, also thanked Education District II and the Lagos State Government, for heeding their pleas not to build permanent structure(s) for their students inside the Ikorodu High School in Apeka, Ikorodu.
