Landlords and residents of Lisa community and its environs in Ifo Local Government Area, Ogun State, have appealed to the state Governor, Dapo Abiodun, to approve the establishment of a secondary school in the community to enable their children get easy access to education.
PUNCH Metro gathered from the residents that their children usually trekked about 10 kilometres daily to access the only secondary school, Oluke Comprehensive High School, located in a neighbouring village, Oluke.
In a bid to facilitate easy access to education for children, the residents said they resorted to establishing a secondary school by converting the police station built by the traditional ruler to a temporary site for the pupils in the community.
The community members, however, appealed to the state Ministry of Education to approve the school to enable it to function efficiently.
During a visit to the school, our correspondent observed that the wall of the building which had no ceiling was not plastered.
It was also observed that the floor of the building was not tiled, while the chairs in the classrooms were not sufficient for the students.
The Chairman, Lisa Community Development Council, Sunday Akinsola, said the school would manage the building pending the approval of the government.
He said, “How can we be subjecting these kids to trekking 10 kilometres in this 21st century, in Nigeria? Just to access secondary education, they have to trek a long distance depending on how close their villages are to the school. So, we need more than two or three schools. Every town should have at least a secondary school.”
The Olu of Lisa, Najeemden Odugbemi, said the only government-approved secondary school in Oluke had been overcrowded because it serves over 21 towns and villages, adding that the Lisa community established its secondary school to put an end to the suffering of the pupils.
Odugbemi said, “The school we established in Lisa is because our children are suffering to access a secondary school within the community. You know when the school is not close to you, some children will lose interest.
“The life we lived, our children cannot live it, talk less of our grandchildren. How can you ask your son to trek 10km every day and five days a week? It is not going to work! That is why we put our efforts to build that place temporarily.
“We have one acre of land and once the government comes today, we have the land. We have even sent a letter to the government for approval and I know that if they approve it, definitely they will come and do something.”
Contacted, the state Commissioner for Education, Prof. Abayomi Arigbadu, said there were processes to be followed in approving a school in a community.
Arigbadu said, “The process is not done in a day; we cannot provide school for everybody in one day, it is a process. As communities are developing, we continue to provide schools for them.
“If they are going to have a school, they need to be thinking of teachers and other facilities that they will put there. So, you don’t just establish a school without appropriate structure.
“If they had written to us, we would definitely have begun the process. If they have not gotten any response, it does not mean we are not going to do something.”
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