There was palpable jubilation in Igbara Oke in Ifedore Local Government Area of Ondo State when a foremost indigenous association, Igbara-Oke Youth Council (IYC), brought succour to the community by renovating a primary school. HAKEEM GBADAMOSI writes:
The pupils and teachers of St. Anthony RCM Primary School, Igbaraoke in Ifedore Local Government Area of Ondo State, who have endured the infrastructural decay in the school, heaved a sigh of relief last Friday, following the intervention of the Igbara-Oke Youth Council, (IYC), an umbrella body of all clubs, associations and societies of Igbara-Oke Youth descendants from the town worldwide.
The school buildings which had been in various stages of dilapidation with weeds taking over of most of them no roofing sheets and lack toilet facilities for the pupils and their teachers, now wear a new look, courtesy the attention it received from the youth council.
The school which was founded on March 3,1955, received attention when some members of the IYC noticed the pupils of the school learning under shade of trees.
This, according to head teacher, Mr Rufai Taoreed Babatunde, was to avert possible catastrophe as the building housing the classrooms were not habitable. Thus, the school authorities deemed it fit to move the pupils to the open. Babatunde said “it is better for the pupils to study under trees than to go uneducated.”
Speaking at the unveiling and handing over ceremony of the renovated structures to the school and community, the chairman of IYC, Pastor Dipo Agbelese, said the attention of the association was drawn to the dilapidated state of the school in December 2023 and swung into action to renovate the school.
He said “The classrooms were no longer habitable, the roofs of the classes have been removed, while some had caved in; the walls had collapsed and academic activities were done under the trees, and nearby private houses when it’s raining.
“Most parents have withdrawn their wards from the schools to another one to avoid calamity and the number of the pupils reduced from over 200 to just 89.
“But I want to tell you today that the humble intervention of IYC has yielded positive results.
We took it upon ourselves, and raised money with the support of our brothers and sisters both home and abroad to renovate the premises, spending over ₦10 million on the renovation.”
He said the intervention was borne out of the association’s initiative to give back to their immediate environment especially in the area of providing and ensuring quality education to attract development of the ancient town of Igbara-Oke.
According to him, the project was flagged off in February and completed by first week of April. He said this was to ensure that the students resume school in a new atmosphere by April 19, when the new term begins.
Agbelese said, “The attention by the IYC and provision of new facilities is part of our wider initiative of building safe schools to support inclusive and quality education across communities. This is part of our intervention among other things we have embarked upon to make life better for our people.
“So today, we feel it’s very important for us to support the school and I hope in the future when the children grow up, they will remember this very special day in their lives, and in the future, we will continue to support such renovation projects.”
The president-general of IYC, Chief Ibukun Akanle, explained that “this project was not part of the projects for the year 2024, but we cannot let the future of our children and that of the community be gambled with.
“We have written letters to the government. But the delay in their response called for urgent intervention, because further delay may be dangerous, as the pupils were being exposed to danger, and making learning unattractive to them.
“As far as development is concerned, IYC is really trying to help improve the lives of the residents. IYC has renovated all the boreholes in the town, and upgraded them to be solar powered. We have also built new ones. Residents now have access to potable water in less than 50 metres to their houses.
“Our association is a non-political organisation that was established to foster love, unity, peace and progress in the overall development of our community, Igbara-Oke and her people. One of our goals is to ensure quality education for our young ones, with adequate facilities for learning and training purposes”
“With the limited resources available to us, we have completed the renovation of the buildings. We are handling over the structures today in preparatory to the resumption of academic activities for the new term.
“It is therefore on this note that we want to call on the state government, the State Universal Primary Education Board and other governmental agencies that are stakeholders in the administration of primary school education, to urgently come and assist in renovating the remaining buildings in this school.”
Meanwhile, the community, including monarch, community heads, teachers and students have described the intervention as commendable. The Olowa of Igbara-Oke, Oba Adefarakanmi Agbede, described the experience of the pupils as harrowing.
The monarch said, “The harrowing experiences the pupils go through to study in such a deplorable condition and the effects on their psychology as they visit others schools with good structures cannot be over emphasised.
“Their teachers too are not left out in the trauma of teaching pupils drenched whenever it rains and they usually take shelter in those houses around the school.
“The IYC had shown and proven that education is serious business. Investing in education, especially at this basic level, is an investment in economic development and prosperity of the community and the state.
“This new environment will help students develop good characters that will enable them to prosper in their studies and help them build their communities when they grow up.”
He however, sought government’s urgent intervention in order to secure the future of younger generation, stressing that solid and conducive infrastructures remained one of the ways to measure the standard of education in any society.
Oba Agbede also called on spirited individuals to also join hands in the development of education, saying “Government alone cannot fund education, but it is in the spirit of this understanding that I am making this passionate appeal to the government to come to the aid of our primary schools in Igbara-Oke “
The Head Teacher of St. Anthony Primary School, Mr Rufai Taoreed Babatunde, commended the IYC for the quick intervention and support to the young pupils of the school, teachers and the Igbara-Oke community at large.
Babatunde said the association has set a record for embarking on the renovation, completing it under two months despite the economic hardship.
The headmaster saluted the courage of the pupils and the teachers who have withstood the challenges of learning under harsh conditions. He appealed to the state government to continue to giving more support to primary education, which is the foundation. “I am sure the pupils will be more than happy as they will be resuming into a new and equipped classrooms”
Representing the state government, Mr Michael Faola from the Ministry of Education, hailed the community and indigene of the Igbara-Oke for the steps taken to renovate the school and develop education in the area.
Faola said the Federal Government has allocated resources for the running of public primary schools under the Universal Basic Education Commission, (UBEC), but said the state government has not been able pay its counterpart funds in order to access funds from UBEC.
He called on other communities to emulate the IYC of Igbara-Oke, saying every association should join hands to develop their various community, as the state government only cannot fund education.
The Head boy, Master Ariyo Opeyemi and Head girl, Atayese Deborah, both expressed their joy, and appreciated the good people of the town and IYC for giving hope to their pursuance of academic excellence.
The duo urged the state government to help equip the school with learning, creative and sporting equipment and called for intervention of government in other schools needing attention.
The chairperson, Association of Primary School Head of Nigeria, (AOPSHON), Ifedore chapter, Mrs. Funmilola Atere, applauded the initiative of IYC towards impacting positively in the lives of the pupils and offering them a bright hope for the future.
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