Abuja model school left to rot
A multi-million naira boarding Junior Girls Model Secondary School was built in Abuja by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and equipped with facilities essentially, to have profound impact on student and teacher performances. The classrooms have ample space while state-of-the-art and well-equipped laboratories were put in place to impart practical exposure and improve students’ […]
A multi-million naira boarding Junior Girls Model Secondary School was built in Abuja by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and equipped with facilities essentially, to have profound impact on student and teacher performances.
The classrooms have ample space while state-of-the-art and well-equipped laboratories were put in place to impart practical exposure and improve students’ understanding.
The school, which was handed over to the FCT Universal Basic Education Board (FCT-UBEB) last year, was located at AMAC Estate, along airport road, Abuja.
The school consisted of blocks of classrooms, hostels, staff quarters, a library, administrative block, dining hall and a mini sport complex room, but it has been overtaken by plants and grasses and infested by rodents and reptiles. A source said the school was abandoned and that the invasive plants and rodents were a challenge to control and remove as they could destroy the facilities already installed.
Teachers were neither recruited nor posted to the school and education authorities haven’t commenced students’ admission. Private security guards were employed and stationed to guard the place after thieves vandalised some teaching materials.
One of the guards said before they were engaged thieves had broken into the buildings by cutting holes in the roof and ceiling. They stole learning materials, chairs, lab apparatuses, aluminum roofing sheets, electric cables and appliances, door and window frames, bathroom and toilet fittings among others.
A visit to the school showed that some learning materials and chairs were destroyed possibly by vandals.
Our reporter learnt the school project is being handled by an indigenous construction company.
All effort to reach the contractor of the school proved abortive but when contacted, the Executive Director FCT-UBEB, Adamu Jatau Noma, said the delay in the commencement of academic activities in the school was not on purpose.
“We are waiting for the directive of the new FCT Education Secretary and once we get approval we will start working,” he said.
The Executive Secretary of Universal Basic Education Commission, (UBEC), Dr. Hamid Bobboyi, had earlier said model schools were part of the commission’s programmes introduced to address the plight of out-of-school children especially girls.
Dr. Bobboyi said the initiative was aimed at providing access and equity to basic education for the girl-child.
“This is because in some communities due to socio-cultural patterns, religious misconceptions, poverty, teenage pregnancies and early marriage, girls are forced to miss education opportunities,” he said.
He said to address the problems, the commission established and awarded contract for the construction of 71 Junior Girls Model Secondary Schools located in 32 states and the FCT.
According to him, 51 of these schools were completed while 20 were at various stages of completion.
He further stated that five junior girls’ model schools located in Ebonyi, Jigawa, Nasarawa and Sokoto states had commenced academic activities, while the others are yet to commence because of the inability of the host states to finalise arrangements for staffing and other operational needs.
A parent, Malam Haruna Isma’ila, said the delay would affect government’s effort at ensuring equity in education and in addressing the problem of out-of-school children in the FCT.
He however called on government to speed up action to ensure that work starts at the new school on time to achieve the desired objective.
According to him, the school would go a long way in providing access to basic education to teeming students.