August 21, (THEWILL) – A group under the aegis of Uwheru Development Agenda (UDA) has appealed to the Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, to direct the Ministry of Education to reopen the abandoned Okugbe Secondary school situated in Ophororo in Uwheru clan of Ughelli North Local Government Area of the State.
A statement signed by the President of the group, Paris Ukpemeku, and made available to journalists, said the school was founded in 1980 under the defunct administration of the governor of Bendel State, late Prof Ambrose Alli, and it was centrally established to cater for educational needs of children from the surrounding communities, namely Owarovwo, Ogode, Uvwriche, Oreba Ophororo and Avwon, all in Uwheru clan.
He said this, to a great extent, brought development and presence of the Government to the area, even though other social amenities are still lacking and their votes were only solicited by politicians during elections.
However, due to neglect by the then Military Administrator of Bendel State, the Late Brigadier Jeremiah Useni, the School was abandoned in 1984.
The school children from the aforementioned villages are now trekking to attend Agadama secondary school, with their growing population, under the sun or in the rain, regardless of long distance.
The relocation of the school children to Agadama Secondary School has been of little relief due to the high level of insecurity in lives and disturbances to the academic calendar occasioned by the activities of the Fulani Herdsmen, who constantly attack the Community and use the Agadama grammar school as their Base, which usually renders the school inoperative during the dry season, which has aggravated the situation, adding that the children from these nearby five villages are worse hit.
He further posited that the classrooms of the abandoned school in Ophororo Village are still there, though dilapidated and overgrown with grasses and have become abode to rodents and dangerous snakes.
Hence, in light of the above, the group is urging the State Governor to use his good offices to bring back to life again this abandoned school in the highly populated agrarian community, just as they called on the Governor to expedite action on the road construction from Uwheru main town to link these various communities of Ophororo, Oreba, Ogode, Uvwriche, Owarovwo, Avwon Seaport and Agadama.
The road, when completed, will unearth the economic potentials of the area, as the area is blessed with arable soil that is favourable for growing many food crops and cash crops.
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