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 Dailypost 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.
“Parents no longer see the value in public education. They are pulling their children out and enrolling them in private schools, which they believe offer better opportunities,” Ocheme told reporter.
Chief John Ameh Onuh, a veteran teacher and the traditional ruler of Agbogiri Clan, echoed similar concerns.
He recalled the days in the 1960s-1990s when the schools in the region were bustling with pupils.
“We had over 500 students enrolled at that time, but now, the population has dwindled to less than 20,” Onuh noted with a sense of despair.
“We need the government to take action before these schools vanish entirely.
“There are hardly any teachers left. Since many of us retired, the government hasn’t recruited replacements and that has left a huge gap,” Chief Onuh lamented.
“Most parents are no longer willing to gamble with their children’s future, so they’re turning to private schools. Take Ekere, for example, we have only one teacher in the entire school. How can one person possibly handle six different classes? It’s a heartbreaking reality. Public primary schools in our communities are slowly dying.”
Similarly, at LGEA Primary School Achi Ugbugbu, the situation is particularly dire.
The school, which once produced countless individuals who went on to make a mark in various fields, today has structures that are falling apart, classrooms that are bare, and not a single teacher to be found.
Edwin ‘Dandy’ Apochi, a teacher who served in the school for decades, described the situation as “pathetic.”
He said for years now, the school has had no teachers and its future is now uncertain.
Sadly, LGEA Primary School Udaburu has also fallen into a state of neglect, with just two teachers left and only three pupils enrolled, most of whom barely show up for classes.
Godwin Adikwu, one of the school’s teachers employed by the community, is responsible for all the classes, a daunting task given the school’s declining enrollment.
Many parents have since pulled their children out, unable to tolerate the lack of proper facilities or teachers.
Speaking with reporter, the Clan Head of Udaburu, Chief Simon Idoko, said the situation is beyond the community’s control and requires urgent government intervention.
“We have done all we can as a people, raised funds, employed volunteer teachers, even provided teaching materials from our pockets, but there’s only so much a community can do.
“The schools are collapsing, both physically and structurally. Our children are being left behind, and that is something no society can afford.
“This is not just a local issue anymore; it is a state emergency. If the government continues to look away, we will wake up one day to find that public primary education in Owukpa no longer exists,” he lamented.
Barrister David Mike Agada, a legal practitioner and proud alumnus of LGEA Primary School Udaburu, also decried the current state of his alma mater.
Agada, who graduated from the school in 1993, recalled the vibrancy and overpopulation that once defined the institution.
“Back then, the classrooms were so full that some pupils were sent home simply because there wasn’t enough space to accommodate everyone,” he reminisced.
“Imagine being told you were too small to be in school because the place was bursting with pupils. That’s how vibrant the school used to be.
“It’s heartbreaking to return to a place that once shaped the future of so many, only to find it in ruins.
“It’s not just a building falling apart; it’s an entire generation’s opportunity being lost. Government silence is no longer just neglect; it’s a betrayal,” Agada added.
The situation has only worsened since the retirement of key education figures in the area.
Chief Simon Agada, former Head of School Services in Ogbadibo LGA, who is a native of Udaburu, voiced his frustration with the government’s neglect of public education in the region.
“Since my wife, who was the headteacher of LGEA Primary School Udaburu, retired, the school has been left in the hands of no one,” Agada explained.
“The people we have now are what we call gatecrashers; most of them lack proper training.
“The government is not helping matters at all. The last time there was a meaningful recruitment of teachers was during George Akume’s tenure as governor back in 2007.
“Since then, successive administrations have ignored the plight of government schools, not just in Owukpa, but across the entire Idoma land and Benue State at large.
“The government has failed to provide the necessary support to keep these schools operational,” he lamented.
In Ejule, another community within Owukpa, the public school faces similar challenges.
The school, which once produced some of the region’s best medical doctors and lawyers, is now largely abandoned.
“The lack of attention from the government is appalling,” said Mr Benedict Abutu, Education Secretary of Ogbadibo.
Mr Augustine Akor Ameh, a former headteacher in the school, said, “One of our major challenges is the lack of basic teaching materials. For instance, many schools don’t even have chairs or desks, not for the pupils and not even for the teachers.
“Moreover, there has been no clear effort or commitment from the government to support or motivate teachers.
“Right now, private schools are taking over because they provide better learning environments and parents are withdrawing their children from public schools in large numbers.
“Imagine, only two teachers are managing an entire primary school with six classes. That’s unacceptable. The government needs to take urgent action.”
Wesley Primary School in Okpudu, the first primary school in Owukpa community, is yet another victim of this neglect.
With its roofs blown off and classrooms empty, the school stands as a shadow of its former self.
The school has no teacher with less than 10 pupils
The situation in Atamaka, where insecurity has taken a heavy toll, is perhaps the most troubling.
Last year, six young men were kidnapped along the Atamaka-Ugbugbu road, causing the only teacher at the LGEA Primary School Atamaka to flee.
Today, the school stands vacant and parents are left with no choice but to seek alternatives for their children.
“The situation is dire,” said a community leader.
“We need urgent intervention from the government to ensure the safety of our children and teachers,” he added.
Other schools, such as LGEA Primary School Ai-Fam (St Michael), LGEA Priamry School Ai-Ujah, LGEA Primary School Ikpochi and LGEA Primary School Ai-Odu, are also in a state of disrepair, lacking teachers and proper facilities.
The situation has been worsened by the policies of the current state government.
In 2022, the Benue State Government under then-Governor Samuel Ortom recruited a number of civil servants, including teachers.
However, shortly after assuming office, Governor Hyacinth Alia reversed the move, ordering the dismissal of those employed during Ortom’s final months in office, among them, the newly recruited teachers.
The publication learnt that the last time the state government recruited teachers in large numbers was in 2007, during the first tenure of then-Governor George Akume.
Nearly two decades later, many of those teachers have either retired or died, with no replacements hired, leaving a devastating vacuum in the public education system.
When Dailypost contacted the office of Grace Adagba, Chairperson of the Benue State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), which oversees public primary schools in the state, an official requested a call back in one hour.
Also, when the reporter visited the High Level, Makurdi office of the board, an official redirected him to the Ministry of Education and Knowledge Management, stating that the ministry was in a better position to respond to the development.
“This matter you are talking about falls under the purview of the Ministry of Education and Knowledge Management.
“They’re better positioned to provide detailed responses,” the official who craved anonymity said.
However, repeated attempts to reach the Commissioner, Frederick Ikyaan, were unsuccessful, as calls were ignored and text messages went unanswered.
Meanwhile, when reached for reaction, Mr Emmanuel Agese, information officer, SUBEB, denied knowledge of such dire situation in Owukpa.
“There is no situation of dilapidated primary schools in Owukpa which has made pupils attend schools in neighboring states to the knowledge of SUBEB.
“If there is such a situation then the head teachers of such schools have not reported the conditions of such schools to the executive chairman of SUBEB, Grace Adagba who is very proactive in responding to such cases.
“The head teacher may not have reported the exodus of pupils from their schools because they could be benefiting from such an unfortunate incident.
“The Executive Chairman is committed to the positive development of primary education in the state as can be seen in the uncommon transformation of the sector like the modern structures in our schools.
“The head teachers should endeavor to promptly report such a situation to the appropriate authority if at all there is any.”
