6th September, 2010
Residents of Ijegun town in Ikotun-Igando Local Council Development Area of Lagos State, South West Nigeria, have decried illegal use of the only primary school in the community allegedly by motor drivers, touts, market men and women and others, calling on appropriate authorities to take action.
The residents informed Lagos Bulletin that the invasion of the school which comprising four primary schools began after a fire incident that occurred on 15 May, 2008, damaging a portion of the fence and the school became accessible to all sorts of people.
Alhaji Musiliu Oloyede, who claimed to an old student of the school and chairman of Ikotun-Igando Development Coalition, said what the school is experiencing now did not occur during his days in there.
He called on the state government to chase out those he described as illegal immigrants that have converted the school to motor park and market.
“I am an old student of this school and during my days, there was nothing like this. The school was well protected but now, it has been turned to a motor park and market. Drivers and traders have abandoned government designated parks and market and converted the school for a different purpose entirely.
“We do not want them here again, we want both the union and traders around to move out of the place because they are causing a lot of distraction to our children and wards.
“Government should assist us in chasing these people away,†he said.
When Lagos Bulletin went round the school, it was observed that a portion of the school fence has collapsed, making the school to be porous. Also, some of the classrooms are in defective state, having been turned to public toilet and bathrooms.
It was also observed that the school’s water well has been turned to local pit as human excreta was seen in and around it. The residents therefore appealed to concerned authorities to rescue the school from the illegal occupants and reconstruct the collapsed fence as well as rehabilitate the structures before the pupils return from holiday.