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From Tony Osauzo, Benin
It was a joyous occasion for students of Ekosodin Secondary School in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo who returned to the school five years after they were forced to abandon it following the dilapidated state of the only existing school building.
Their return was facilitated by Hon Dennis Idahosa, a member of the House of Representatives, whose intervention saw to the reconstruction of a block of six classrooms and a Principal office in the 45-year-old institution.
The rebuilt secondary school was inaugurated along with 120 twin chairs and desks.
It was learnt that the students had to share classrooms with the only primary school in the community before the intervention of the Ovia Federal Constituency Representative.
A Senior Secondary School (SSS) 2 student, Miss Innocentia Eghianfo, said that before the movement to the primary school, the students were learning under an ‘unbearable’ condition.
‘I was actually in JSS 1 when we relocated to join the pupils of Ekosodin primary school and before the relocation, we were learning under all weather conditions; rains and sunshine.
‘Aside from that, there was no chairs and desks so we had to come to school with our chairs and desks while the majority who could not afford seats sat on the bare floor.
‘We are happy that we finally have our space; the afternoon and morning class sessions occasioned by the relocation will now be a thing of the past, we also have chairs and desk now, we are indeed happy,’ she added.
An old student of the school and a former chairman of the ward, Mr Victor Osayande, corroborated Eghianfo’s story and noted that their children have been saved from the inconveniences of the past five years.
Similarly, Mr Osahon Ogbemudia, a youth leader in the community, while commending Idahosa, appealed for the reconstruction of the other building in the secondary school that has been in a state of disuse for over 10 years.
In his address, Idahosa said that the progressive-minded nature of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the priority he placed on education, was what prompted his intervention.
He disclosed that apart from the Ekosodin secondary school, there are 29 other completed and ongoing projects that will bear a direct impact on his constituents.
‘I must say that what started as a dream has become a reality within a little space of time.
‘Like I promised during my electioneering, I will only be involved in influencing projects that have a direct impact on the people, just like what we are inaugurating today,’ he said.
