The head teacher of LEA Primary School, Makanima, in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Mr Chebawaza Alfred Katungu, has appealed to the minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike and the AMAC chairman, Christopher Maikalangu, to intervene in the deplorable condition of the school. It roofs were damaged by rainstorm, thereby exposing the pupils and teachers to harsh weather conditions.
When LEADERSHIP Friday visited the school, located near Giri, opposite the Military Barracks and within the vicinity of Yakubu Gowon University fence, it was discovered the place had become unsafe for both learning and teaching.
On the dire situation, Mr. Katungu lamented that whenever the clouds gather, the pupils were always forced to abandon their classrooms and seek refuge elsewhere.
“Today, when it was about to rain, I had to ask the pupils to run to the community mosque for shelter and safety. The situation is becoming unbearable for both the learners and the teachers,” he said.
According to the headmaster, the school has only three classrooms, all of which are leaking badly, making effective teaching and learning almost impossible.
“Teaching and learning under this condition is very poor and not encouraging at all. We don’t even have additional classrooms.
If this block was in good condition, we would have had somewhere to transfer the children to whenever it rains, but there is nowhere. Even the office is leaking,” he explained.
He noted that the entire block requires comprehensive renovation, stressing that piecemeal repairs would not solve the problem because the structure has deteriorated significantly over time.
“As it is now, the whole block needs renovation. There is practically nothing we can do on our own. You can see that zinc sheets have been fixed at different points over the years, but the damage has become too extensive,” he said.
Katungu further disclosed that strong winds and rainfall have continued to worsen the condition of the school, creating fear among pupils and staff.
“Whenever it rains like this, the sound from the loose zinc sheets during storms is very frightening. Most times, that is why I tell the children to run to safety,” he added.
Despite the current challenges, the headmaster expressed confidence in the FCT minister’s commitment to improving public infrastructure and appealed for urgent intervention.
“The minister has been doing good work. He has affected me positively before through some of his projects, and I believe he can still help us in this situation.
“Apart from renovating the building, I would also like the authorities to increase the number of classrooms because the existing facilities are grossly inadequate,” he said.
Teachers at the school are also facing difficulties, with some reportedly forced to stand or seek shelter wherever possible whenever rain begins during school hours.
The school community is now calling on the FCT Administration and other relevant authorities to urgently rehabilitate the facility to ensure a safe and conducive learning environment for the pupils.
Residents of the area say prompt intervention is necessary to prevent further deterioration of the structure and to safeguard the lives of both staff and pupils, especially during the ongoing rainy season.