Gangsters convert A’Ibom community school to den – Village head

By Chioma Onuegbu

AFAHA UBE ITAM—HOODLUMS have turned the ramshackled Government Primary School, Afaha Ube Itam, Itu Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, to a criminal hideout, which they use as base to raid and carry out all kinds of crimes at night.

The village head of Afaha Ube Itam, Eteidung Gabriel Edet, who raised the alarm when the Rotary Club of Nigeria, District 9140, Uyo, donated 100 writing desks to the school, said the institution had no perimeter fencing and because of its strategic location, along the entrance to the community, it was a choice place for criminals.

His words: “Sadly, the school has been converted into a criminal den because of the fact that it is not fenced. Hoodlums use the premises to rob and perpetrate all kinds of crime in the night. I want our indigenes in positions of authority to do something to address this worrisome issue.”

He said the effort of the Rotary club in coming to assist the primary school despite the worsening economic situation was worthy of emulation by representatives of the community, local government area and even the state government.

“The few classroom blocks you are seeing are done through community self-effort because our effort to draw government attention to the myriads of needs faced by the school over the years has not yielded any result,” the village head added.

Govt ignored our several requests

Secretary of the village council, Mr. Godwin Ekong, who praised Rotary Club for the desks, said, “What has happened today is an answer to our prayers, that is why we are happy and we commend the members of the club for this gesture. In fact, we had written severally to the state government, but we have not received any assistance from them. We feel neglected, like people who do not have representatives in government.”

Shameful affair: One-time lawmaker and Rotarian, Hon. Ekaette Ebong Okon, who accompanied the district governor, Mr. Akabong Enebong, to the community, expressed sadness over lack of infrastructure in the school, urging the management not to relent in its efforts towards drawing the attention of government to the plight of the students.

He asserted: “I feel very ashamed to accompany the Rotary district governor to see the dilapidated nature of classrooms where our children sit on the floor to receive education. We have not done very well as a people. We cannot afford to play politics with certain things like health, education, and shelter.”

Rotary promises more assistance if …

Handing over the desks to the headmaster of the school, Mr. Edet Ibanga, the district governor, Mr. Enebong assured: “If the first one hundred desks are well taken care of by the school management, another one hundred desks will be provided. And I want the community to document the needs of this school so that we can see how we can help in other areas”.

President, Uyo Rotary Club, Charles Essien, said what informed the decision of the club to consider providing the desks among myriads of needs of school was because they observed that the pupils sit on the floor, as the few classrooms had no desks.

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