The people of Ihenweorie in Ahiara, Ahiazu-Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State comprising Ogwuama, Akabor and Obodo Ujichi have raised the alarm over the decaying state of their only Secondary School which they collectively built and handed over to the government, asking for the urgent intervention of Governor Rochas Okorocha to save the lives of the students and their teachers.
Ihenweorie Secondary School as it is referred to today was formerly Ihenweorie Girls Secondary School and was built by the three autonomous communities in the late 1970s and handed over to the government of late Governor Sam Mbakwe as part of their contribution to making education affordable to Imo State indigenes.
The school had blocks of classrooms, laboratories, library, teachers’ offices and auditorium at inception, but today, all the structures have given way due to many years of neglect by the successive governments in the state.
A visit to the school reveals buildings and other facilities that are in a state of disuse with the teachers and their students found in such dilapidated structures during lessons.
One of the students spoken to by TheNiche complained that the rain and the sun beat them always depending on the season.
The student who gave her name simply as Agnes and that she has been in the school since three years now said the buildings have remained the same since she joined.
A teacher who would not want her name in prints said they are not only helpless, but that it appears government does not consider the school as one of the schools in Imo State. The teacher however said that the attention of the government is urgently needed to save lives as “there is no more property to save,” according to her due to the dilapidated structures.
An indigene of one of the communities, Chibuikem John Nwachukwu told TheNiche that “it is a shame that government will claim to be awarding scholarship to students when they are indeed studying outside. What you have seen in Ihenweorie Secondary School is a reflection of many things: lack of effective representation in government by our people, wicked neglect of a people that you swore to govern, and the mindset of those who are in positions of authority with regard to the plight of the common man.”
However, he called on Okorocha to urgently send a save our soul to the school management on how to rebuild the facilities.
Chikaodi Njoku another stakeholder said: “Today, the school is now a ghost of itself as no new structure has been erected apart from the ones the three communities built at inception. What is even worse is that the government does not find it necessary to renovate the school’s old buildings the way it claims it does in other parts of the state.”
Another indigene of one of the communities who resides outside the country retorted: “This situation is as unfortunate, sad as it is tragic. It paints a graphic picture of gloom and degradation and tells that there is no form of government presence in our domain. This school was built with the resources and community effort of Ihenweorie people and handed over to Imo State government to run and maintain.
“If the present school infrastructure is in such a state of dilapidation, the quality of its students and graduates can be anyone’s guess. At best, they will be third-rate and may never possess the academic, social and psychological impetus to face an ever challenging and intense competitive world we live in today.
“I think we have been thoroughly hoodwinked, deceived and raped by a government that should be a custodian of our commonwealth and shared heritage. In the present circumstance, my thinking is that we should call and mobilise all sons, daughters, in-laws, friends, well-wishers and all people of goodwill to join forces with us to undertake the rehabilitation of the only Secondary School our children can readily access for this level of education.
“The Ihenweorie Development Union wherever they are should place this matter topmost in their to do list and make this a priority project. Our parents will turn in their graves if a school built less than fifty years ago through their sacrifice to give their children a better life has come to nought. Let’s arise!”