BY CLETUS NGWODO
DELTA State Governor, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori has approved the provision of 1000 seats immediately to schools that need urgent attention while over 16,000 dual seats are being planned to be provided from the 2025 UBE projects.
The Chairman, State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Hon Samuel Mariere, who dropped the hint during a press briefing at SUBEB Headquarters, Asaba yesterday, said the contracts to that effect will be awarded before the end of the year.
Hon Mariere, who dismissed a trending videos in various social media platforms where some pupils were seen sitting on the floor at Eghreka Primary School, Ewu in Ughelli South Local Government Area of the state as baseless and politically motivated, said it was imperative to brief the press, to portray the true situation of things and efforts being made by the state Government in improving the quality of education and infrastructure in the state.
He said the Board has received the approval of the governor to demolish all structures in schools where they are not in use with a view to ensuring the safety of both the pupils and teachers While acknowledging that there were infrastructural gaps in almost all the schools across the state, Hon Mariere, however, noted that the intention of the merchants of bad news was essentially to tarnish the rising reputation of the current administration in the education sector and infrastructural development
”The Board, this year alone constructed and distributed over 16,000 dual desks to schools across the state. This is outside the provision made by other MDAs ,especially the Ministries of Primary and Secondary Education through the constituency projects of the members of the state House of Assembly and corporate organisations.”
”In terms of infrastructure, 234 new classrooms were constructed, comprising 162 delivered by Delta SUBEB under the 2024 UBE Intervention Fund and 72 completed by the Delta State Government. In addition, the Delta State Government had 24 classrooms still under construction as at the end of the reporting period. These interventions substantially reduced congestion, provided safer and more conducive environments for learning, and opened opportunities for enrolment expansion in both rural and urban schools,” he said.
”Of this figure, 30 percent is to be reprovided as a result of destruction by members of the community where these schools are located. In some cases, these seats are brought for use during burials and football matches and are never returned to the classrooms after use thereby exposing them to theft, rain and harsh weather while in some cases this furniture are maliciously destroyed to make money by selling the iron frames of the seats to scavengers (iron condemn), ” he added
The SUBEB Boss noted the issue of security and welfare facilities in the school system would continue to be prioritized with the construction of 22 perimeter block walls and gate houses, the renovation of five others, the provision of 164 VIP toilets, and the construction of five solar-powered boreholes.
”Teachers’ accommodation received attention with the delivery of 10 staff quarters, while learners benefitted from the supply of 16,834 units of furniture, maintenance of an additional 4,000 units, and the provision of 50 double bunk beds and 50 foams to support boarding arrangements”.
