Pupils at Ughieda Primary School in Etsako West, Edo State, are learning in a mess, sitting on bare floors with leaking roofs and smashed ceilings all around them. This is crazy because the state poured billions of Naira into the EdoBEST programme under ex-Governor Godwin Obaseki to fix schools. Monitng, a group that watches government moves, says it’s a disgrace, especially since the school’s just two communities from former Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu’s hometown.
Monitng’s crying out loud about the cash which includes $75 million from the World Bank in 2020 and ₦20.8 billion from Obaseki in 2021, with ₦12.9 billion for EdoBEST alone. They’re asking Governor Monday Okpebholo and his deputy, Dennis Idahosa, why kids are still stuck in unsafe, crowded classrooms with no chairs or desks. The headmaster’s begging too as he says the school’s falling apart and needs help fast before it’s too late.
People are mad and confused. With all that money, why’s Ughieda Primary School a wreck? Monitng’s pushing the new government to step up by fixing the roofs, bring in furniture, and make it right for Edo kids.