A taskforce set up by the Ogun State Government recently began demolition of shanties and illegal structures around school fences and road setbacks in Abeokuta, the state capital, pulling down not less than 300 structures, Daily Trust Saturday reports.
A number of public schools in Ogun State are located near markets, and in some cases, shanties and makeshift shops were built around the fences and road setbacks, gradually turning school environments into markets of sort.
Some of those schools in Abeokuta are St Joseph, Isabo; St John Primary and Secondary, Kuto; Omolayo Primary and Secondary, Idi-Aba; Reverend Kuti Grammar School; and Nawairudeen Primary and Secondary School, Isabo.
Last year, there was an outrage over a plan to construct a complex inside the premises of Nawair-Ud-Deen Primary School I and II, Atan-Ota, Ado Odo-Ota Local Government Area of the state. The plan hit the brick wall after protests by some stakeholders and the intervention of the government.
Fortnight ago, the government began demolition of shanties and illegal structures around school fences as part of what it called the ‘Safer School Initiative.’ The government said the exercise was aimed at clearing out shanties and illegal structures harbouring criminals around learning environments.
The taskforce, led by the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Dapo Abiodun, Farooq Akintunde, stormed Kuto, Idi-Aba, Oke Ijeun and Panseke areas with bulldozers and pulled down the shanties and illegal structures.
Some of the schools visited are St John Primary School, Kuto; Nawairudeen Primary and Secondary School, Oje Ijeun and Government Technical College, Idi – Aba.
The team also pulled down some makeshift shops at the Panseke area of Abeokuta for disrupting free flow of traffic.
An official told our correspondent that more than 200 shanties, illegal structures and makeshift shops were cleared during the exercise.
“We have demolished 200 to 250, and still counting. The exercise will continue across the state,” the official said.
Speaking to newsmen, Akintunde said owners of the shanties, illegal structures and makeshift shops had been issued notices about six months ago but they failed to comply.
“This action commenced some six months ago when our officials from the ministry issued out a notice to all the occupants of these shanties around public institutions and the actions commenced after the expiration of the notice.
“In fact, in most of the cases we gave them two, three, four weeks and even one month, maximum, but in this case, we are giving them up to six months; and that is why we have commenced that exercise,” he said.
The governor’s aide said most of the shanties were criminals’ hideouts and there’s need to protect students from kidnappers.
“By the way, the main objective of the government embarking on this exercise is to ensure that students are not distracted from learning. We have occasions when students, because of this trading up and down, are distracted from the classrooms; and that is not too good for their learning process.
“In line with the Safer School Initiative of this present administration, we need to protect our children because all these shanties are hideouts for criminals. You are aware of a lot of kidnapping cases all over the country. These are the cheap places the kidnappers can make use of, and the government, in its proactive measures, does not want such to happen. We want all our public institutions to remain open to the public so that we would not witness such,” Akintunde said.
‘Principals allocating spaces’
He warned heads of schools illegally allocating unauthorised spaces to traders to desist from the action or face the full weight of the law.
“I want to sound a note of warning because a lot of information has been gathered since we commenced this action. Our school principals and headmistresses need to sit back because the information we are getting all over the place is unpalatable. They are employed by the state government to teach, they are not given any power or authority to lend out government’s property to traders or other people.
“That sounds ridiculous. In most of the places we have been this morning, we saw lamentation of people who said they just paid last week. To what cause is that? Who authorised them to obtain such money. It is illegal. And we don’t want a situation where they will find themselves in government’s trouble,” he warned.
Modupe Aro, a trader who has shop at Nawairudeen, Isabo, alleged that she had already paid N70,000 to renew the space when government officials came to pull down shanties.
“We have already paid; and they did not inform us that they would demolish our shops. I paid over N70,000 for one and half years. They also collected agreement fee and commission. We made the payment inside the school,” she alleged.
A resident, Adebayo Kazeem, admitted that some traders had been issued vacation notice, but others were not served.
“Those in front of Reverend Kuti Grammar School said they knew and prepared as they could come any moment, but other people in front of Nawairudden Primary and Secondary said they were not aware. They were all shocked when the demolition started,” Kazeem said.
Traditional rulers rent out spaces around schools – ASUSS
Contrary to Akintunde’s allegations, the chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools in Ogun State, Dr Felix Agbesanwa, told Daily Trust Saturday that some traditional rulers and local chiefs were found in the habit of allocating spaces around schools to traders.
He asked the government to beam its searchlight on them.
“We can’t say the teachers or principals are responsible because, in many areas we have visited, traditional rulers in those communities are the ones contracting those spaces and setbacks to traders. We discovered this when we got to Community High School, Akute.
“To any teacher doing such, they should be aware that once they flout the civil service rule, they will pay for it and no union will intervene because they are first of all employed by the civil service,” Agbesanwa said.
The c hairman, however, applauded the government for the demolition, saying it is long overdue.
He said, “That’s the way to go. We love it. Shanties create confusion and nuisance around schools and it will not allow the students to concentrate on learning.
“If there’s noise around the school environment, how do you expect students to concentrate?
“It also harbours criminals and a number of teachers have been beaten by the criminals. So we support demolition of shanties around our schools wholeheartedly.”
Ogun CP asks schools to install CCTV, erect fences
Recently, the commissioner of police in Ogun State, Abiodun Alamutu, asked schools in the state to install closed-circuit television (CCTV) and erect perimeter fencing as part of measures against the ongoing kidnapping onslaught in schools.
He said this in Abeokuta at a security meeting as a part of the Safe Schools Initiative.
The meeting attracted the special adviser to the governor on security and principals of secondary schools in the state.
In his remarks, Alamutu noted that security challenges facing the educational institutions have become more complex and demanding.
The CP said IGP Olukayode Egbetokun had spearheaded the Safe School Initiative across all police commands “to nurture, not only the mental wellbeing of our dear pupils from primary, secondary schools, but also to take stiffer measures in safeguarding their day to day safety during learning hours.”
He rolled out 10-point security measures, including developing a school safety and security policy, regular assessments, activating the security committee and strengthening access control, ensure that access to the school premises is strictly controlled and regulated. This includes implementing security perimeter fencing, installing CCTV cameras at strategic locations and designating specific entry and exit points; develop a system for visitor registration and require proper identification for all non-student visitors entering the premises, he said.
While emphasising the collective responsibility of security, Alamutu told stakeholders to “take these security measures seriously and implement them diligently.”
Join Daily Trust WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You.
