Ondo community begs Akeredolu over abandoned school projects

Residents of Iyere community in Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State have expressed displeasure at the level of abandoned projects in the local area.

The residents said the abandoned projects have drawn back socio-economic development in the community.
They also explained that an ongoing project inside the Ayorinde Baptist Primary School in the community had been abandoned thereby forcing pupils to study inside the scorching sun.

Olatoye Saibu, Chairman of Parents-Teachers Association (PTA) of the school who spoke on behalf of the community, said the pupils in the community are now learning under the trees due to the bad state of infrastructure.

Mr. Saibu, who had held a meeting with the Connected Development, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) from Abuja, disclosed that the previous government of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP led by former Governor Olusegun Mimiko abandoned the projects in the school.

He noted that there was urgent need for government intervention in the local community before things get worsen.
According to him, the present government of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by Governor Rotimi Akeredolu should step-in and put succor on the people.

The Chairman, Parents-Teacher Association (PTA) appealed to the government to expedite action on the projects in the school in order to enhance the learning standard of the pupils.

“We are appealing to government that what happened during the previous administration should not repeat itself because the projects have been abandoned for almost three months now.

“Our pupils are being taught under the tree and some are taken to nearby church premises to study, which is not conducive enough for learning.

“Even last week, a snake bit one of our pupils here when they were receiving lecture under the tree and it took grace of God for the child to survive it,” he said.
Similarly, Mr. Omotola Ebenezer, a community leader, called on government to save lives of their pupils by facilitating the work.

“Some politicians came from Akure to see the project but up till today, nothing has been done. Our children are still staying in dilapidated building.

“It is alarming for us to start waiting for good three to four months without seeing any development being carried out by contractor. This is bad.

“I met with the headmaster some time ago and he was complaining that he didn’t even know the contractors, which makes tracing them a serious problem.

“Though, I believe that when the project is completed, the suffering of today will become enjoyment of tomorrow and our people will enroll their pupils in the school, Ebenezer noted.

According to him, the school is using only two classrooms at the moment instead of six as the contractor has demolished the other four.

Mr. Chambers Umezulike, Senior Programme Manager in Connected Development, said that the NGO would do its best to see that the projects are completed as scheduled by the government.

Umezulike noted that the project were under the 2014/2015 Conditional Grant Scheme and implemented by the state government.

“Our findings show that government has approved drilling of motorised borehole, construction of school toilet with cargo texture, construction of a block of six classroom, provision of 2.5 kvh solar power inverter with solar system and construction of perimeter fencing of the school.

“Actually, we learnt that fund has already been approved while the contractor handling it has been mobilised by the state government.

“We are going to follow up on the issues to the end to know what really happened to the abandon projects.
He promised to put pressure on those involved in the project to do it and hand it over to the community as earlier
schedule by the government.

‘Tosin Ajuwon, Akure