Agbeja Primary School, a public education facility in Igoba, a town that is 8 Kilometers away from Akure, the capital city of Ondo state is in a state of disrepair.
Allegedly built with a N25 million allocation captured in the 2016 budget, the school lacks basic furniture and toilet facility. Also, a N12.5 million supply of school furniture project captured in the 2017 budget is yet to be implemented. Many students were seen sitting on the floor during classes. .
Photo of the Newly Constructed Agbeja primary School, Igoba
Agbeja, a relatively cosmopolitan town with a population of 8000 people, lacks a befitting and standard public primary school facility. The decrepit state of the school has been a major concern to residents and community leaders in the town.
On the first visit to the community on the 15th of August 2017; Tracka representatives conducted an advocacy awareness on the supply of school furniture initiated by Hon. Afe Olowookere, a member of the House of Representatives representing Akure north south federal constituency
Built as a block of six classrooms with abandoned toilet facilities, the school started it first session in September 2017, shortly after Tracka’s first visitation. Following up with a town hall meeting with residents of the community in November, an elderly woman revealed that she donated the roof which was used to construct a temporary toilet for the school.
Town hall meeting with residents of Igoba community
Photo of temporary toilet constructed by the community
It took the concerted efforts of the Community Development Association and the Head Teacher who provided few chairs for to set things in motion. With barely enough chairs to go round, other pupils have to make do with sitting on the floor. When nature calls, pupils make their ways to the bush which has been portioned into gender sections for students and staffs.
Picture of abandoned soakaway
During the course of the advocacy visit led byTracka, it was discovered that the Chairman of the Community Development Association, Engineer Benedict Bombly was unaware of the project, as well as the essential details captured in the budgetary allocation for the construction of the school. He, however, promised to press towards ensuring the implementation of the school project. The 2017 Budget publications were distributed to residents who were encouraged to follow up with infrastructural projects linked to their community.
Tracka is a citizen-driven platform which enlightens members of the public to monitor capital projects, as a means of entrenching accountability and transparency in governance.
Agbeja town is not only in need of a befitting school; the community also lacks a health facility, accessible road, market and potable water. There is no gainsaying the fact that for visible development to happen in the community, the latter part of the 2016 budget which makes provision for toilet facility and supply of school furniture (2017) must be pursued to a logical conclusion.
