The Director of the Sickle Cell Orphanage and Underprivileged Home Agulu, Mrs Aisha Edward Maduagwu, has made a passionate appeal to Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo to come to the aid of the Practicing School Agulu, for immediate rebuilding of the burnt classroom blocks of the school which has suffered untold neglect and abandonment by the successive governments in the state.
Mrs Maduagwu,made the call during the termly PTA meeting of the school by both parents and the management of the school, expressed dissatisfaction over the continued neglect of the classrooms that got utterly damaged during the early morning inferno around December 2024.
Meanwhile, the root cause of the inferno is yet to be ascertained”, she said.
Mrs Aisha Edward, bemoaned how some politicians and other representatives in both State and Federal House of Representatives, Abuja as well as the Senate in the area, particularly those from Anaocha 1constituency, used the unfortunate incidence to chase clouts, toying with the sensibilities of those affected by the fire.
“I recalled seeing a particular sitting house member from the constituency, visited here with a retinue of media aides all wielding cameras, capturing the devastated classrooms, with the promise to build a section of the classroom.
“But to my dismay, they still left the place abandoned after such media hype.These crop of leaders are insensitive and mindless, the school authority should restrict such people from coming here to take pictures without any visible assistance.
“In fact, they are adding salt to injury,” she concluded.
Mrs Aisha Edward Maduagwu who spoke out of concern as a parent with 10 wards enrolled in the school, said that she’s burdened with the thoughts of having the children exposed to harsh weather, cold and rain, in their bid to learn.
She added that the present condition of the school is most likely to affect the health conditions of the children, especially now rains are heavy with special reference to her own wards because of their health challenges as sickle cell patients which she said that is pushing her to be on high alert incase of any resultant crisis among them.
“The Save Our Soul Message to Anambra State Government by management of the School was escalated by the old Boys and Girls Association of the School, during ba visit to the school, recalling that the association had achieved notable marks in children’s lives.
Mrs Maduagwu, however, underscored the importance of having a conducive and safe environment for learning in the area for the children, while insisting that no iota of decayed zinc should be allowed to in the school forthwith for the sake of promoting and protecting of the overall healthcare conditions of the school children.
Speaking earlier, the Manager of the School, Reverend Father, Elias Obikwelu, assured the participants that the school authority is making every necessary effort to drawn the attention of the Anambra state government through the State Primary Education Board to the pitiable conditions of the classroom blocks which he confirmed that drastically affect the academic well beings of the children.
He also stated that he was equally making massive effort within his reach to contact the member representing Anaocha 1 constituency in the Anambra State House of Assembly, Hon.Nkechi Ogbuefi to commence rehabilitation work on the building as promised the school, but to no avail.
“Upon hearing about the plans of the new structure they intend to build with a view to replacing the burnt classrooms, yet she had not lived up to expectation.
“This delay has resulted to unfortunate vandalization of the windows and door protectors of the classroom blocks by unknown persons in the area”, Father cries out.
From her, the Headmistress of the School, Mrs Eucheria Evwuonwu, said noted that the school belongs to Anambra State and Awka Catholic Diocese, a situation that has made it difficult for them to channel their grievances and appeals to the appropriate authorities being the state.
She said incident had led to the reduction of the numerical strength of the school from 400 to 200 pupils upon all efforts she was making to expedite action on rebuilding of the school, describing it as the foremost citadel of learning in Anaocha local government area.
Also, the Chairman, Parents Teachers Association of the School, (PTA), Mr.Bede Obidigbo, expressed the fear that the children could no longer feel the comfort and serenity in the course of their study, calling for immediate rehabilitation of the affect classrooms by the Anambra state government and some people in the area who are living in affluence.
Echezona Okafor.
