The leadership of St. James Roman Catholic Mission (LGEA) school in Sabo-Oke, Ilorin has appealed to the Kwara State government to replace the roof of the primary school blown off by windstorm over a year ago or return the school to the church mission so that it can take responsibility for its replacement.
The chairman of the church of the church’s building committee, Professor Aderemi Olutola, presented these options to the Kwara State government last weekend.
The church leader, who condemned government attitude towards infrastructural development in the school, said the return of the school established in the 50s to the Catholic mission would enable the church to have total control over it.
“The school is government school so to speak though it was established by the Catholic mission. It appears that government is not responsible for the school as such. There was a time I had to personally renovate the first two classroom blocks in the school when they were in a total state of disrepair. SUBEB wrote me a letter thanking me for what I had done. We think they should be proactive by renovating the school so that it can be found worthy of being called foundation primary school.
“Ever since then, they have not been able to do anything. The school committee had had meetings with government to complain about the state of the school. Since government is not forthcoming, we feel that the school should be returned to the mission. If the Catholic mission is to take responsibility for the renovation of the school, then it should then have total control by having the school returned to them, the owners.
“But I think the government is dragging its feet on returning the school to the owner. So the dilapidation is so glaring now.
“If you look at the school enrolment, you will discover that it does not attract pupils. This is due to its condition. Only children from this area come here and government has not even approved it for JSS. Every other school around here has JSS section. No parent wants to bring his ward to this school because there is no prospect.
and then