Teachers, pupils abandon classrooms over faeces

Teachers and pupils of the Ibadan Municipal Primary School, Mokola, Ibadan, Oyo State, have abandoned six out of 13 classrooms in the school over incessant defecation by community members.

The school, which accommodates four other schools, is mainly attended by pupils from Sabo, a community hosting northerners in Ibadan.

Daily Trust observed that the school is in a bad shape withits doors, windows and other structures dilapidated and bushes growing around many classrooms in the school.

Also, many of the pupils were seen roaming about at 9am when Daily Trust visited the school.

One of the staff of the school who does not want his name mentioned said people defecate in the classrooms after the close of work hours and that forced staff and students away from the classes.

While noting that government refused to fix the school, he said “I am tired of this school. If you notice, our pupils are bringing tables and chairs from the main hall. If we leave our chairs in the classes, they will be destroyed or even taken away before the next day.”

He further said: “The most painful thing is that the pupils are not willing to come to school. Many times, we go to their homes to look for them. You cannot believe that this is happening in the heart of Ibadan, where we have the elite.”

He pointed out also that an uncompleted building in the school had been messed up with faeces, saying, “For the past few years now, government has not completed the building to put it to use.

He explained further that they do not have enough chairs and tables and that the pupils sit on the floor.

Reacting, the chairman of SUBEB, Dr. Nureni Aderemi Adeniran, said there was a plan to fence primary schools and provide security in public schools.

He said: “This would guide against further occurrence, bearing in mind that the Government of Engr. Seyi Makinde is barely five months in the saddle of power in the State. Notwithstanding, efforts are on to put porous schools such as IMS, Mokola under tight security to forestall hoodlums.”