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Residents of Iyiowa Odekpe in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State have appealed to the state government to urgently rehabilitate their only public primary school, warning that its deteriorating condition poses serious risks to pupils and teachers.
The school, Community Primary School, Iyiowa Odekpe, has become surrounded by thick vegetation and stagnant water, raising concerns about possible snake encounters, other dangerous reptiles and mosquito-borne diseases. Residents say the situation has made the premises unsuitable for children’s education.
Community leaders, led by their chairman, Sunday Obinze, inspected the facility on Monday and expressed concern over the extent of neglect. They observed that the school buildings, which were constructed in 2010 under the Universal Basic Education intervention programme, had fallen into disrepair.
Obinze said the community lacked the financial resources required to restore the school and called on Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, to extend his administration’s intervention to the education sector in Iyiowa Odekpe.
He acknowledged the ongoing construction of the community’s major access road but urged the governor to also honour his earlier commitment to rebuilding the school. According to him, the safety of children should not be compromised because of inadequate educational infrastructure.
The community’s Secretary-General, Dr Chukwunonso Okoli, also presented a letter dated September 18, 2026, which was acknowledged by the relevant authorities on September 30. The correspondence appealed for immediate government action and was copied to several officials, including the Speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly, the Commissioner for Education and the chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board.
Other residents, including Chief Christopher Mgbike, Loveday Awa and Esther Igwe, expressed concern about the health and safety implications of allowing children to continue learning in the overgrown, waterlogged environment. They appealed for urgent reconstruction and improvements to ensure pupils and teachers can carry out their daily activities without unnecessary risks.
The residents further stressed that restoring the school would improve access to basic education in the community while providing children with a safer and more conducive place to learn.
Responding to the concerns, the Anambra State Commissioner for Education, Dr Ekene Ogugua, said the government was aware of the situation and that the ministry was giving attention to the matter.
The community is now awaiting concrete action to address the school’s condition and prevent further deterioration of the facility.
