By Magnus Emuji
The Delta State Government says Ogume Grammar School, Ogume in Ndokwa West Local Government Area will remain closed till further notice.
The government decision stemmed from the hineous activities of some miscreants in the community, who on October 14, 2021, set the school ablaze.
The State Commissioner for Secondary Education, Mrs Rose Ezewu and the member representing Ndokwa West Constituency in the State House of Assembly, Hon Charles Emetulu who is the House committee chairman on education disclosed this in Asaba during a meeting held with the leaders of Ogume community.
Mrs Ezewu said that the decision of the state government to order the closure of the school was in the best interest of the community and the state in general as it was designed to guarantee the safety of teachers and students of the school.
She added that the whole structure and learning materials in the school were destroyed.
While calling on the community to bring the perpetrators of the crime to book in order to serve as a deterrent to others , Mrs Ezewu urged leaders and all stakeholders in the community to show genuine commitment towards rebuilding the school so as to encourage the state government.
She warned parents in the community to desist from taking their children to other schools in the area for admission as a result of the shutdown of the school but should contribute towards rebuilding process.
She further disclosed that the principal that was severely beaten up by the hoodlums had been discharged from the hospital.
In his remarks, member representing Ndokwa West Constituency in the State House of Assembly, Hon Charles Emetulu who frowned at the unwholesome attitude of the miscreants added that there was no longer any structure for learning in the school after the burning down of the school.
Hon Emetulu who described the incident as sad and unfortunate, said that the school was one of the best equipped secondary schools in the area with modern science laboratory and ICT centre as well as teaching and learning materials.
He urged the community to exhibit genuine intention towards fixing the destroyed facilities, stressing that the job of any community was to ensure the protection of public property in their area even as he admonished parents to always guide the behaviour of their children.
In their separate remarks, the representative of the Okpala-Uku of Ogbe-Ogume community, His Royal Eminence, Dr Valentine Akpati the chairman of the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) for the school, Chief Emeka Ogeleka and the chairman of Ogbe-Ogume Community Development Committee, Chief Kenneth Ogeleka commended the commissioner and the Hon. Charles Emetulu as well as the member representing Patani in the House of Assembly, Hon Emmanuel Sinebe, Permanent secretary, Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Mr Augustine Ede Oghoro as well as the Director of Schools in the ministry that visited the community on a fact finding mission for their show of concern to address the problem.
They pledged the community’s resolve to contribute in the building of the school, adding that the community was against the unguided activities of the miscreants.
