The OKHUESAN Secondary School in Esan South East, Edo State, once a beacon of educational excellence, has been reduced to a shadow of its former self under the leadership of Governor Godwin Obaseki. Despite the school’s storied past and its role as a key educational institution in the region, it has been left to decay due to years of neglect and underfunding.
While Governor Obaseki has paid lip service to the importance of education in his public speeches, his actions have failed to match his words. The once-proud school is now plagued by dilapidated classrooms, crumbling infrastructure, and inadequate teaching resources, leaving students and teachers alike struggling to make do with substandard conditions.
This situation is not just a failing of the Governor’s administration, but also a betrayal of the trust and aspirations of the people of Esan South East. For decades, the OKHUESAN Secondary School has served as a cornerstone of the local community, producing generations of educated and successful citizens.
Indeed, while the buck ultimately stops with the Governor, the local government of Esan South East also shares in the blame for the neglect of the OKHUESAN Secondary School.
For years, the local government has failed to prioritize education as a key development objective, instead focusing on more visible but less impactful projects that do little to improve the lives of residents. This misguided approach has resulted in a lack of investment in the school, as well as a failure to coordinate with the state government to secure the resources needed to restore the school’s facilities and academic programs.
In addition to the visible damage to the school’s infrastructure, the long-term consequences of this neglect are likely to be devastating. As students struggle to learn in decrepit classrooms, with outdated textbooks and inadequate access to technology, their prospects for future success are severely limited.
Article 6(b) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) stipulates that “the government of the Federation or of a State shall strive to eradicate illiteracy and provide free, compulsory and universal primary education.”
This constitutional provision makes it clear that the provision of education is not a mere luxury but a fundamental right of every citizen.
The blame for the sorry state of OKHUESAN Secondary School in Esan South East should also extend to Ojezele Sunday Osezua, the State House of Assembly member representing the constituency.
As a member of the legislative branch responsible for representing the interests of his constituents, Osezua has an obligation to advocate for education and ensure that resources are allocated to schools in his district.
Instead, Osezua has remained silent on the issue, opting to play politics rather than confront the dire situation facing the OKHUESAN Secondary School.
Osezua’s neglect of the OKHUESAN Secondary School represents a broader failure of political leadership in Nigeria, where elected officials are more concerned with maintaining power than serving the needs of their communities.
While Osezua may try to hide behind the bureaucracy of government and the complexity of the issues, the truth is that his inaction speaks volumes about his character and commitment to his constituents.
The responsibility for the neglect of OKHUESAN Secondary School extends beyond the state level and into the federal sphere. Okojie Henry Odianose, as the Member of the House of Representatives representing the constituency, has also failed to use his position to advocate for the needs of the school.
As a member of the Federal House of Representatives, Odianose has access to a broader range of resources and networks that could be leveraged to address the crisis at OKHUESAN Secondary School.
In conclusion, the plight of OKHUESAN Secondary School serves as a sobering reminder of the failure of political leadership at all levels of government in Nigeria.
From the Governor, to the local government, to the State House of Assembly, to the Commissioner for Education, and even to the Federal House of Representatives, each player in this story has failed to live up to their responsibilities and deliver for the people they were elected to serve.
The situation at OKHUESAN Secondary School is a call to action, a call for Nigerians to demand better from their leaders and to hold them accountable for the promises they make.
We can’t continue like this anymore! The era of PDP and APC is over let’s Mobilize and vote for Osaigbovo Olumide Akpata because he is our guy.
I’m Chief Dr Patrick Osagie Eholor otherwise known as Ultimate Equal, President One Love Foundation