Group pledges N25m for upgrade of Edo’s school

Members of Igbanke Grammar School Development Association (IGSDA) in Edo State have announced the commitment of over N25 million in the last three years to renovate dilapidated buildings and other infrastructure in the school.

Jacob Erhabor, president of the association, disclosed this at the commissioning of a rehabilitated chemistry laboratory in the school by the old students, last weekend.

Erhabor, speaking at the event, said before the intervention of the old students association, the school had been abandoned with the state government paying little or no attention to the refurbishing, and equipping the school for quality education.

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“Apart from dilapidated structures, most public secondary schools in Edo State do not have enough teachers as the old students association has to intervene by hiring teachers to man the classrooms,” he said.

Also speaking, Arthur Usiagwu, president of Igbanke General Union Worldwide, deplored the government’s failure to adequately fund education, especially at the primary and secondary levels which are supposed to be the foundation of solid education.

“In view of the government’s abandonment of its basic responsibility, the old students had no choice than to fill the gap so that the students will not be left stranded,” he said.

The old students rehabilitated five classroom blocks at the cost of N15 million. Besides, they reconstructed the blocks housing the admin and principal office. The chemistry laboratory was also rehabilitated at N10 million.

Igbanke Grammar School was built by Samuel Ogbemudia in 1968. And since his regime in Edo State in the 1970s successive governments have abandoned the school.

The occasion also witnessed the presentation of awards to children of Igbanke and students of the school who excelled in their academic endeavours.

Jacob Erhabor while presenting the award to recipients of Jacob Erhabor Award for academic excellence advised the students to reciprocate the gesture of the old students association by excelling in their studies and making the school and the entire community proud.

Oghene Chukwu Ochuko, the winner of the Jacob Erhabor Award for the best graduating student in the 2022 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), expressed gratitude to members of IGSDA for giving her the wings to fly through the financial benefits accrued in the award.