TRAVEL DIARY V: CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY- SCHOOL OF MISFORTUNE

So many ugly stories of decay I heard about the Akwa Ibom State government-owned Secondary School in Ekpenyong Atai 1, Essien Udim LGA of Akwa Ibom State compelled me to visit and “see-things-for-myself”. And ol’ boy! I saw things! So much that my eyes nearly jumped out of the sockets! I stood there, mortified. Ashamed. Bewildered. Angry. Sad. Lost. Sick. So sick I literally puked in my stomach. Decay is an understatement. The school has been completely abandoned. Everything that should go wrong has gone wrong.

Community Comprehensive Secondary School Nto Osung, Ekpenyong Atai 1, Essien Udim LGA was founded through community effort in 1979. The few good men of that time such as Mel Idio Ikpa (my father), Etim Akpan Essien Udo and Albert Udo Ikpa teamed up to mobilize the entire community to build a Secondary School and bring education closer home. They knew that education is light. They fought for it; they toiled for it. And they succeeded.

A year after, the then Cross River State government took over the school to the admiration and applause of the founders. The entire community felt relieved that finally, their effort was worth it. At the time government took over, the community had built two academic blocks that accommodated Classes 1-5. Around 1984 or thereabouts (at the start of the 6-3-3-4 system of education) they also built a Technical Workshop for Wood, Building and Welding Technology. The workshop was equipped with bespoke gadgets, tools and machinery. When Akwa Ibom was created from Cross River in 1987, ownership of the school shifted to Akwa Ibom State till today because the school is located in Essien Udim, home of the immediate-past Governor of Akwa Ibom State and current Senate Minority Leader – Obong Godswill Akpabio. A story for yet another day.

From the gate, I was welcomed by a decrepit gatehouse without a roof; without a getman. As I parked my car and made to “remove” bamboo rods that served as “gate”, a group of three boys accosted me, brandishing machetes. I was momentarily afraid for my life. Because they could have harmed, robbed or kidnapped me without any trace by anyone since everywhere was deserted. The school was still on Christmas break. There was no one in sight – just the 4 of us. I saw in their eyes, hunger. They looked malnourished but energetic. Instinctively, I decided to engage them for whatever it would be worth.

After exchange of initial pleasantries, they revealed to me that they were students of the school! But that they were on their way from farm where they went for daily paid labor to help people clear their bush for planting, to make ends meet. The more aggressive one – Ekike Peter Whyte - demanded that I “settle” them. The other 2 – Emmanuel Udo Akpan and Samuel just stood by willy-nilly. All three were aged between 12 and 15. I agreed to “do them Christmas” on the condition that they would keep me company. They agreed too. So we set out on an expedition like no other into CCSS Nto Osung (as the school is fondly known).

I was welcomed by reptiles that darted around the two main academic blocks and millions of holes on barebones dilapidated roof that made it seem as if a million stars were shining beyond the roof. A skeletal semblance of wooden window frames all-eaten-up by termites for many decades hanged loosely from the rectangular wall openings that passed for windows. There were no doors. Each “classroom” was empty of any furniture. I was told students bring their desks and seats from home at the beginning of every term. Since the school was on break, the desks were at home too.

The cemented floorings had all caved in to create islands of sand dunes in the middle of classrooms. I could see “Library” on one of the doors at the extreme, next to “Principal’s Office”. I strolled there to see another shocker. The roof had caved in too, on the stack of books piled on a table at the center. The door was padlocked with a burglary proof but, the window was open. A wide black waterproof was spread on top of what looked like another stack of books on a dilapidated table to shield them from rain. No reading desks. No reading benches. No shelfs! Pools of water at the far right, inside the library.

I went to the Science Laboratory. I saw bottles of reagents that looked 100 old! Dead and rusty Bunsen Burners stood on dilapidated tables. I saw broken conical flasks, petri-dishes, crucibles and discolored funnels and other sundry equipment on the floor. I also saw broken down shelves littered with junk, standing on broken legs in one corner. The windows were open but secured with wires and iron rods. The roof also had a million stars shining forth. A disaster indeed.

I peeked into the Principal’s Office from a broken window Louvre blade. A dated dead rusty Olympia typewriter was sitting on a dilapidated table in one corner. An old cushioned chair balanced on the table next to it. That, I suppose must be the Principal’s "throne". Just my guess though. In front were two plastic chairs. On another corner was a rusty old-fashioned iron cabinet. I suppose, that should contain all the vital student records of the school from inception to date! I saw a wooden cabinet that had heaps of books and sundry paper stacked. There were cobwebs and water stains on the broken roof ceiling. I could see the sky through the ceiling, shinning with rage on a sunny Wednesday afternoon. That was all.

I made to visit the technical workshop. My heart sank as I braved the bush to behold the most shocking encounter of the afternoon. The entire building had been abandoned in ruinous sewage to die, covered by thick bush. What was the roof before, had completely decayed and caved in. All the equipment was gone. Nothing remained. Not one thing – doors, roof, window, tables, benches. None. Only useless smelly debris of decayed and broken wood stood at the centre – wood that cannot even pass for firewood. Where did all the equipment go? No one can tell.

I dashed back from the “workshop” to sit down with the boys in my car. They narrated their horrendous and horrifying no-holds-barred stories to me; personal accounts of the sad experience of students in the school. For example, there is no toilet facility for students. They defecate in the bush. When it rains, students scamper from their “classes” and congregate at the SUBEB building – a four-room house erected in 2006 by the Universal Education Board which serves as staff room – until the rains stop. Sometimes, it rains the whole day thus, students are forced to either stay in the rain the whole day, or stand at the SUBEB veranda the whole day! Teachers posted to the school often always work their way to be posted out as soon as they report; sometimes they do not even report. Some would rather resign their appointments from service, than accept to “teach” in such a school!

One last shocker. My minders also narrated that the school is a WAEC/NECO “magic” centre. During either of the examinations, students pay invigilators to take Question Papers and Answer Sheets home for “solving”. When done, they race back with the competed “Answer Sheets” to pay the invigilators and submit. In their own words “If you don’t pay, the invigilator would not sign your answer sheet and you will fail”. That way, the school posts one of the most “fantastic” results in external examinations in Akwa Ibom State, producing hordes and tons of illiterate students who cannot go beyond the Secondary School or fit into any useful purpose in life. My minders were students in JS3, but none of them could speak or understand English Language! My interactions with them was in the native Annang language.That bad!

At this point, I knew I had heard and seen enough. I paid my minders off handsomely. They were glad to have me. Gladder that what I paid them each was more than they earned in 3 days of bush-clearing! It was eureka moment for them. I left, determined to do all I can to bring this sordid situation to the attention of the world. I wish I had a way into the ears of government - especially, Gov. Emmanuel Udom. I trust someone out there can help me beg them to please, help this unfortunate victims of a terrible and dysfunctional society called Nigeria. I wonder how many more such schools exist to ruin the future of our children.
It beggars believe. More so, that this is happening in Essien Udim - a place the world believes, her problems had been solved by Godswill Akpabio.

Sad!

Source: https://www.facebook.com/celestine.mel/posts/10155252798684013

Academic block, Library, Technical Workshop

Technical Workshop, Laboratory Reagents, Roof, Staff Pit Toilet

All the library and laboratory

Udom boy u re doing well for your master

Udom boy u re doing well for your master

I can sense you smoke a lot of weed Ikpewe. Wehdone! But how does the shame of this school feed your political fantasy? I wish I was Udom boy true true. I for don carry this matter go jam am for office! That school reeks of poo! Not fit for dogs even.

sisimmi:


I can sense you smoke a lot of weed Ikpewe. Wehdone! But how does the shame of this school feed your political fantasy? I wish I was Udom boy true true. I for don carry this matter go jam am for office! That school reeks of poo! Not fit for dogs even.

I hate Akpabio with so much passion but truth be told Akpabio is not the right person to mention on the issue but Udom. Akparawa bo ifiok do