Kunle Adelabu
His Eminence, Sheikh Yahya Olorunoshebi Oshoala ,Ajagbemokeferi, Ameer ul Muhminina As-Samadaani and the Chief Imam, Oriwu Central Mosque, Ikorodu, has expressed his dissatisfaction over the dilapidated state of classrooms at the Salvation Army Primary School in Ikorodu Local Government Area of the Ikorodu Local Government of Lagos State, Southwest, Nigeria, while urging government to intervene quickly to save pupils’ lives.
Sheikh Oshola, who was expressing his dissatisfaction after visiting the school on Tuesday, September 28, 2021, following the collapse of ceilings on pupils in the nursery class of the school on Monday, September 27, with one pupil injured, added that buildings within the school ought to have been renovated instead of allowing them to deteriorate to their current condition.
The revered religious leader, who was a Principal before his retirement several years back, queried what the government, both at the state and local government are using funds allocated for education in the yearly budget for that many schools are still in very terrible state.
He charged both the state and local governments to intervene quickly to stop putting the lives of pupils in Salvation Army Primary School in further danger.
Imam Oshoala spoke with THE IMPACT at his house near the school.
In the interview, the retired teacher described government’s handling of education in Nigeria as appalling.
“All that is required of us is to be thankful to the Almighty Allah that saved the victim (the injured pupil). We also need to thank Allah again that it is only him that was affected”, Sheikh Oshoala said.
“When you look at the school, you will see that there is nothing to write home about, except for the building put up there by Hon. Babajimi Benson which remains as it should be.
“All others are already dilapidated and should have been renovated a long time ago but instead, they were allowed to deteriorate to this extent. They don’t need to build new ones if they have done that.
“It is a pity the way that we are handling education in our community, Lagos and Nigeria generally. It is rather appalling in Ikorodu Division here”.
The religious cum community leader also expressed his disappointment over the quality of work done on the building facilitated by Senator Gbenga Ashafa which is now abandoned.
“Senator Gbenga Ashafa, while representing the Lagos East Senatorial District put up a building in the school but the structure did not last for 10 years before it was abandoned. This is because the project was not properly done and supervised”.
Sheikh Oshoala said that every child deserves to have quality education in safe places and added that the situation on ground at the Salvation Army Primary school is entirely in contrary.
“Every child has his right to free, safe and sound education from primary school to the university level but the situation with us is unfortunate. That’s why private schools are booming everyday and what they are doing is for their own progress and not for the children because their teachers are poorly paid”, he said.
“I don’t know what is happening with our government”, Sheikh Oshoala lamented.
“Secondly, the school compound is very porous. The pupils there are open to dangers. You can see cows and goats coming into the compound to graze during school hours. What sort of learning environment is that?” Sheikh Oshoala asked rhetorically.
“Go to Jamaitul Islamiyyah Primary School, where Maja Aworo Primary School used to be before it was cancelled. It is very porous too”.
He also queried what the government is doing with the annual budget for education over the years that many schools are still without adequate infrastructures, and also charged the Hon. Wasiu Adeshina – led Ikorodu Local Government to live up to its responsibilities, especially in the area of education and do something urgently about the situation in Salvation Army Primary school.
“I am sure that it is not that the government does not have provision for these schools because every year, they make a budget for schools’ renovation, rebuilding and reconstruction. What have they been doing with the money ever since?”, he asked.
“We don’t really know what’s happening and all that we are doing is to appeal to the power that be, most especially the local government chairman because this is under his own jurisdiction. Something concrete has to be done.
“Lives of our children in Ikorodu and Lagos State by extension must be paramount to our government. We are appealing to them to act fast”, he added.
According to Sheikh Oshoala, the Salvation Army Primary School was started at the location where the Salvation Army Church is at Itunmoja junction on the land donated free by his father.
“My father was the owner of the land. He gave it out to the church for free.
“It was when they wanted to expand that they went to the Jiboro family to get the location where the school is located. The family collected peanut to release the land to them.
“If those old people in those days could sacrifice what they should have left for their children, why then can’t we maintain it?”, he asked rhetorically once again.
“If the Salvation Army missionary could sacrificed to establish the school there, what are we doing to sustain it?”.
He, again, appealed to the Chairman of Ikorodu Local Government as well as Ikorodu Local Government Education Authority LGEA), Lagos State Universal Basic Education (LSUBEB) and the Ministry of Education to ensure that they do the needful by putting in place necessary infrastructures to raise the standard of education across schools in the state.
“I just want to appeal to the local government chairman, LGEA, LSUBEB, and the Ministry of Education to do something about it. They should do something about the conditions of our schools generally, not only primary schools. Secondary schools too are in need of the government’s attention. It’s unfortunate that the governor cannot see all these things.
“Let them remember posterity”.
When asked to also appeal to the trio of Oba Kabir Shotobi, the Ayangbure of Ikorodu, High Chief Adewunmi Ogunsanya, the Odofin of Ikorodu and Otunba Adeyemi Lawal, an honorary chieftaincy title holder in Ikorodu, who were all recently instrumental to the renovation of blocks of classrooms at Etunrenren (Muslim A) Primary School in Ikorodu, and also promised to do same in other schools, Sheikh Oshoala said:
“We don’t need those people again. They are already trying. I know that if they are aware of the situation in the school, they would have done something about it.
“We only need to pray, praise and thank them. They don’t have public money with them but their own hard earned money. Why should we put the burden of everybody on them? May God continue to increase their wealth, health and make everything good for them”, he prayed.
Meanwhile, THE IMPACT gathered that Councilors in Ikorodu Local Government have also visited the school to have first – hand information about the sad development.
The Head of the Education Department in the council has also visited the school as promised by the council Chairman on Monday.
