Public primary schools in Owukpa, a district in Ogbadibo Local Government Area of Benue State, are facing a slow and painful extinction.
Once nurturing grounds that shaped some of Nigeria state’s finest doctors, lawyers, journalists and professionals, these schools have now deteriorated into crumbling structures, deserted by both teachers and pupils, now overrun by reptiles.
Years of government neglect, insecurity and policy setbacks have left the schools in ruins, with classrooms sitting empty, walls fallen apart, roofs blown off and only a handful of pupils still enrolled.
A recent tour of the community by DAILY POST reporter revealed the alarming extent of the decay, raising urgent questions about the future of public education in Owukpa.
One of the most disturbing sights on the tour was at LGEA Primary School Ikwo, a village in Itabono that borders Enugu State.
Established in the early 1970s, this once-thriving educational institution has deteriorated beyond recognition.
The school is now in a state of complete disrepair.
The buildings have collapsed, classrooms are without chairs and the walls have crumbled to dust.
The school currently has no single pupil, only snakes and lizards now roam freely through the abandoned structure.
The decay is not confined to Ikwo alone. At LGEA Primary School Ekere Owukpa, the situation is even worse.
The school, founded in the 1950s, which once played a central role in educating the community, now faces a severe shortage of both teachers and pupils.
The classrooms are now largely empty, with many parents opting to send their children to private schools instead.
Clement ‘All-Rounder’ Ocheme, a former headteacher and education supervisor from Ekere Owukpa, said that the lack of interest in public schools has been a major contributing factor.
