Sanwo-Olu directs rehabilitation of Ebute-Metta road

Piqued by the level of its dilapidation, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has directed immediate rehabilitation of the road leading to the newly reconstructed Oke-Odo Junior High School, in the Ebute-Metta area of the state.

Sanwo-Olu spoke during the inauguration of a newly built block of  15 classrooms with a multi-purpose court at the school located at Coates Street, Ebute-Metta, Lagos Mainland Local Council.

The new school was built by the state’s Committee on Rehabilitation of Public Schools (SCRPS) led by Hakeem Smith.

The governor stressed that the directive for road rehabilitation followed the bumpy ride to the venue as well as requests made by various stakeholders on the deplorable state of the road.

He said: “I am going to instruct our Public Works Corporation to come and fix Coates Street.

“But here is the education sector. One of the sorts is the new Oke-Odo Junior Grammar School, where we are today.

“The school is among the several schools we have commissioned in the last three days.

“And it’s consistent with our THEMES agenda (Education and Technology, Health and Environment, Traffic Management and Transportation), which the first E there is education and technology.

“These 15 classroom blocks with more than four postcodes bring the total in the last three days to 135 new classrooms that we have added to eight public schools.”

The governor reeled out the names of schools inaugurated across the state, saying that investments in education had yielded results due to the consistently outstanding performance of students in various examinations.

He assured continued and improved support for the education sector and urged the community to provide land for the construction of the senior secondary school arm.

He urged the parents, alumni and other stakeholders to take ownership of the new school and other public assets and ensure their protection and preservation.

He commended SCRPS for fixing the school and over 1,500 others in the last four years.

Earlier, the chairman of SCRPS, Hakeem Smith, said the old structure was demolished and reconstructed due to structural defects observed on it.

He said the governor instructed the intervention to avert disaster, adding that a soil test was carried out before reconstruction on tiles to prevent future collapse.

He added that concrete facials were used to protect the roof from wind in addition to other environmentally friendly materials for adequate illumination and ventilation for comfort during power outages.

Smith said the newly reconstructed Oke-Odo Junior Grammar School, comprises an L-Shaped 15 classrooms block.

He said the previous derelict block in Oke Odo Junior High School existed as a two-floor classroom block abandoned due to structural defects resulting in demolition and reconstruction.

He listed facilities incorporated in the project to provide conducive teaching and learning environment for the students and teachers.

“The classrooms are standard to accommodate 50 students, well-ventilated and illuminated to ensure classes go on even when there is an electricity outage.

“The classroom block has a total of 30 Water Closet (WC) for male and female students, with other toilets for the teachers and Principals,” he said.

He explained that the Principal’s office was strategically located to provide a good view into the school compound for effective monitoring.

He listed other internal and external facilities in addition to recreational infrastructure in the school to provide conducive teaching and learning environment.

Community Development Committee Chairman, Lagos Mainland Local Council, Alhaji Tajudeed Quadri, said the project has brought an opportunity for the children of the ordinary man to learn in a posh environment.

Quadri, who is also the Chairman of the Idi-Agbon Community Development Association, added that the construction had boosted safety as hoodlums who hitherto encroached on the facility would be kept away.

He thanked the governor while appealing that the same kind of privilege be extended to Apostolic Primary School about to be taken over for a housing estate.

Alumni of the school, Alhaji Adenekan Idowu, said he was the first set of the school which had produced several successful experts and dignitaries.

He said that the old school degenerated to a level that some people described as “poultry” before the intervention.

He thanked the governor while listing efforts of the association towards the rehabilitation senior school, which is at the moment at a temporary site.