Residents of Opuama, a riverine community in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State, have raised concerns over the worsening state of infrastructure and acute shortage of teachers in their local schools.
During a visit by our correspondent, the three schools in the community—Oloduwa Primary School, Azama Primary School, and Oloduwa Secondary School—were found in a state of disrepair. Classrooms had broken ceilings and missing roofing sheets, while pupils were seen sitting on damaged chairs or the bare floor due to a lack of furniture.
Chairman of the Opuama Education Committee, Dr. Macaulay Owen, decried the condition of the schools and the financial burden the community bears in sustaining education.
“Classrooms and buildings are dilapidated, and we need government attention,” he said. “We also face a shortage of teachers in our schools. We have Oloduwa Primary School and Azama Primary School in the Opuama community. In Oloduwa Primary School, we have three government teachers, and at Azama Primary School, the same. In Oloduwa Secondary School, which runs from JSS1 to SS3, there are only five government-employed teachers.”
In response to the shortfall, the community has taken matters into its own hands by hiring additional staff.
“We are short of teachers. For this reason, the community engaged almost 15 teachers across the schools, with each earning a minimum of N100,000 monthly,” Owen explained. “This is huge for the community to continue to bear. The purse of the community is drastically drained. It’s a serious issue, and the government needs to provide an immediate solution.”
Dr. Owen also noted that efforts to secure qualified teachers from outside the community have proven difficult, as some government-assigned educators refused to report for duty due to the community’s riverine terrain.
“Some said they cannot sleep there because it is a riverine area they are not used to,” he said. “We have qualified sons and daughters who can be employed by the government, and we are sure they would not hesitate to report for work in their own community.”
According to Owen, the community has made several appeals to authorities, including formal letters to the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education and the local government chairman, but no response has been received.
When contacted, the Delta State Commissioner for Primary Education, Dr. Kingsley Ashibogwu, acknowledged that renovation work was underway at one of the schools.
“I’m aware that there is renovation work going on at Azama Zone Primary School,” Ashibogwu said. “We have employed teachers, and there is a ratio of classroom teachers to pupils. We will look into it because they are now writing their exams.”
Efforts to reach the Commissioner for Secondary Education, Mrs. Rose Ezewu, were unsuccessful, as calls and messages were not returned as of the time of filing this report.
