The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has approved the construction of the LEA Primary School in Bagusa, Abuja, where students were found learning in a makeshift structure.
NN News Media learnt that the school was built by former president Muhammadu Buhari without walls and facilities despite billions budgeted for the school.
Wike gave the approval on Thursday following an on-the-spot assessment of the teaching and learning conditions at the school situated in the Dei Dei area of Abuja.
The wall-less school was reportedly established by the past administration and has about 200 pupils and 16 desks, with six classes and a creche.
Wike, who was represented by the Mandate Secretary of the FCT Education Secretariat, Danlami Ihayyo, expressed disappointment over the conditions of learning at the school.
According to Ihayyo, the minister has directed the transformation of the school into a modern facility for both primary and junior secondary education.
He further said that plans include the construction of an extra block of four classrooms through UBEC’s counterpart funding of 2023.
“We came for an inspection of this school because we learned that the school was established here by the previous administration. After the establishment of the school, there was no single structure provided by the previous administration.
“So, it came to our notice when we saw a post in one of the newspapers, so the Minister of FCT directed us to come and inspect the school so that the minister will see how he can intervene so that the school will look very nice and the children will learn in a very conducive environment.
“The Minister has directed that I come and supervise the school so that in no time, the construction will commence in this school.
“We are going to convert the school from the current structure to a new modern structure where both the primary and the junior secondary school will be constructed here so that the pupils will learn from primary one to six in a conducive environment. Again, at the same time, from Junior Secondary School one to three in this premises.
“We are expecting the complete six classroom blocks (six classroom blocks of four classrooms and completion of this one started by the community).
“So, we are going to complete it, and then we are going to construct a new block of four classrooms through Universal Education Commission (UBEC) intervention through their counterpart funding of 2023.
“The FCT minister has also directed the construction of an additional one block of four classrooms. So that JSS one, JSS two, and JSS three will continue from here,” he said.
