Demolition begins in Mowe’s only public school

The N.U.D Primary School, Mowe, Ogun State, shares a fence with perpetually noisy neighbours.

The five-block school, the only public primary school in the community, nestles the ever-busy office of the Federal Road Safety Commission and the Mowe Motor Park.

Academic activities in the school, on Tuesday, was disrupted when community leaders prevented contractors from the Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area from demolishing a classroom block.

The uproar attracted the council chairman, Mr. Nurudeen Diyaolu, who reportedly promised to build another block of classroom for the affected pupils.

It was learnt that two classroom blocks in the school have been marked for demolition to make way for the Market road, which links the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and still under construction.

Our correspondent’s visit to the school on Wednesday showed an environment in extreme squalor. When she attempted to drive into the school, a female official of the FRSC, who volunteered to open the gate, said she could only park close to the classrooms. This is in spite of the fact that the entire area is the school compound, fenced with a gate.

“Are you going to the school? You can only park on that side. This side is for us,’’ she said.

Inside the school premises, the female head teacher gave our correspondent the cold shoulder.

“Can you see any building under demolition? Learning activities are going on fine. We have no problem here. The government of Amosun is doing well,’’ she retorted.

Just as our correspondent started taking notes, the head teacher burst into a loud solidarity song, praising Governor Ibikunle Amosun to high heavens.

It was, however, noted that one of the five blocks of classrooms has its entire roof off. Huge heaps of rubbish stands tall at an end of the school.

Contractors were also in another building, dividing the classes into halves. Markings have also been put on the next building, suggesting an impending demolition. On that day, the pupils were lumped in the remaining three blocks of classrooms.

In a phone interview with our correspondent, Diyaolu assured that demolition would not start until the state government might have renovated the dilapidated block of classroom in the school.

When told that contractors had already divided the block of classrooms, he gave an explanation.

“The demolition is going to consume a whole set of blocks and that one will not start now. I called the commissioner for works and he said that the state government would renovate an abandoned building in the school. I have called a meeting with the community leaders and explained the matter to them,’’ he said.

Community leaders who do not want to be identified have, however, expressed regrets on the actions of the local government. They accuse the government of toying with the future.

“We are not opposed to development. All we are saying is that they should have started the foundation of the new block of classrooms even while demolishing the other one.”

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