I Did Not Remove St Malachy’s Roof Top – Ejele Diden

We Own The Land, Not Government – Cyril Ogodo

The removal of St Malachy Government Primary School roof along Ugbeyiyi road inNot Sapele, Delta state by men allegedly sent by Hon Michael Diden, Chairman, Delta State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission, DESOPADEC, forcing pupils, parents and teachers to cry out for help has continued to raise eyebrows.

The images of the sad, and gloomy children in despair, looking miserable while sitting outside their classrooms clutching what was left of their books has broken the heart of many.

Thirteen year old Ese Imene, told newsmen, that when they resumed on the 13th of September, their roof were gone and some of their school furniture carted away too.

“Our books were destroyed because they were left in the rain,” he said with tears in his eyes.

A teacher who begged not to be named, told newsmen how somebody reached out to them on the phone on the 5th of September that some men were removing the roof of their school, adding that when they came to meet them, that was when they told them that the DESOPADEC chairman sent them.

ALSO READ: Robbers Attack Worshippers At Dunamis Church In Abuja, Injure Security Guard

The records at the Sapele Local Education Authority said the School was founded in 2010. After public outcry and appeals from parents living in that vicinity, the then Local Education Authority had responded by establishing the school to breach the proximity of distance between children resident in that area to other government primary schools.

While criticisms have continued to trail the event, many have not stopped asking what could have led to an unjust removal of the roof of the only public school in the vicinity that led to the displacement of pupils and teachers.

St Malachy Catholic church confirmed the lease has expired – Diden

DESOPADEC chair, Hon Michael Diden, the man at the center of the story, on Sunday told newsmen that the story over the said land that he had removed the roof of the school was not true.

“How can I do that? I bought that land from the Ogodo family and I can authoritatively tell you that I did not remove the roof,” he said.

He narrated how he came about buying the land from the family, saying “when they approached me that they wanted to sell the land, I went to find out; I approached the Catholic Church who openly told me that that place was leased to them and that the lease has expired.

“They said though they are willing to buy, they do not have that kind of money to buy the whole place; so they pleaded with me to divide the land so that I will buy the other side, while they bought one part,” he explained.

The DESOPADEC Chairman told newsmen that some other members of the family came back demanding he paid more cash for the same piece of land.

“They even stormed the school after I paid the cash for the land, destroying the fence, removing the goal post and other things, ask them what I did. I approached that faction of the family and I paid them some cash again including me mending the fence and other things that got damaged in the school compound. Why did they not see that?”

Adding that other person’s bought land in the vicinity and the campaign against him was a deliberate attempt to tarnish his name.

We own that land not government – Chief Cyril Abeye Ogodo

A prominent member of the Ogodo family, Chief Cyril Agodo on Tuesday said those who kept raising voice on the land the school was built on, were only whipping sentiment into a piece of land that has been owned by somebody, adding that the said land belonged to his family.

“When did the land become a government property?” Chief Ogodo who spoke to newsmen asked.

“The Catholic acquired the land through lease from our fathers for a period of 99years which expired some years ago. At the expiration of the lease, the Ogodo children approached the court to revert ownership of the vast land housing the school and after series of negotiation between the family and the school authourity a consensus was reached between both parties and the land was reverted to them.”

He however directed newsmen to confirm from two Rev Fathers,
Father Martins Okoro, and Father Raphael Ogigbah at St Malachy Catholic church “and ask them to provide you a copy of the judgement on the land.”

Government and Sapele Okpe Community quiet over the issue

While the pupils and the teachers have continued to be at the receiving end of the land issue, the Sapele local government chairman, Hon Eugene Inoaghan, the Local Education Authority Secretary and the Chief Inspector of Education, have all refused to speak about it.

A source close to Inoaghan told newsmen that the Local Government Chairman, Hon Eugene Inoaghan has waded into the issue.

“He is pleading to the people involved so that the children can at least have a place of learning again, he spoke to Ejele (Hon Michael Diden) and he has equally gone to see the Ogodo family on this issue, I am sure solution will come soon and it will all be fine” the source who begged not to be named said.

Dr Patrick Akamovba, the Sapele Okpe Community chairman has also refused to speak on the issue.

At a ceremony held at the community town hall, he told newsmen that he was not happy about the development but refused to speak further.

We have been asked to take our wards to other schools – parents

Parents who had protested in the school last week told newsmen that they have been directed to take their wards to other primary schools.

“But we are appealing that the government should help us,” Saliyo Love, one of the parents said.

“The nearest public school here is along Okpe road that is miles away. It costs about one hundred and fifty (150) naira to get there, and another 150 naira to return home; we don’t have such kind of money.

“Let them provide a public school for us here. We have so many private schools around Ugbeyiyi and this one is the only public school. If this school is closed we don’t know what to do,” she said, pleading that the government should see to their plight.

Ejele soft-pedals

Hon Diden has also said he is willing to talk about the issue so as to find a lasting solution to the plight of the pupils and teachers.

“Chairman (Hon Diden) is moved by the current situation. You know he runs a free school. He actually bought that land to accommodate his school. But I am sure he is willing to sacrifice since children are involved,” a source told newsmen.

Pupils now learn under tree

As the world continues to watch, the teachers and the pupils have resolved to seek education at the bottom of a tree, and seeking for cover when the rain comes down outside the school.

Convention on the rights of a child shows that children’s earliest experiences significantly influence their future development. The experience of removing the roof of a twelve, ten and some as old as six years old, school will certainly linger in these children’s memories.

The course of their development determines their contribution, or cost, to society over the course of their lives.