Shettima orders demolition of poorly re-built schools in Maiduguri

By The Citizen

Following alleged poor execution and reconstruction of primary and junior secondary schools destroyed by the Boko Haram sect in Abaganaram ward of Maiduguri, Borno State, Governor Kashim Shettima has ordered the Commissioner for State Universal Basic Education Commission (SUBEC), Prof. Abba Tijjani to 'demolish and rebuild' the school structures before the end of this year.

The governor gave the directive Friday while launching the distribution of free exercise books, uniforms and other teaching materials to 85 post primary schools across the state.

He condemned Federal Government's contractors who handled the job for doing a shoddy job, noting that the structures did not meet the minimum standards for school buildings.

'The renovated destroyed school structures at these primary and secondary schools by the Federal Government was poorly executed without meeting the minimum standards of school buildings. This administration will not accept these types of structures in primary and secondary schools premises to prevent collapse of classroom blocks in Abaganaram ward of Maiduguri,' Shettima said.

He added: 'Honestly, those who were given the contracts for the renovation of these classroom blocks by the Federal Government did a shoddy job and we will not allow our students to continue using such structures because apart from not being conducive for learning, the structures have no ventilation and could be a threat to the lives of our children and grandchildren while receiving their lessons from the teachers.'

He said the state government would release funds to the Commissioner for SUBEC for the demolition and reconstruction of the classroom blocks and others.

The governor added that the schools would be fitted with facilities required for a conducive learning environment during the reconstruction exercise.

In his response, Prof. Tijjani told the governor that since the destruction of over 800 blocks of classrooms by suspected Boko Haram gunmen in the state in 2012 and early this year, the Federal Government had assisted the state with N100 million in renovating some of the affected classrooms