The village chief of Riwaza community, Kwali Area Council, Abuja has lamented the continuous closure of the Local Education Authority (LEA) Primary School in the community which has reportedly remained shut for about two years due to the absence of teachers, forcing children to abandon education and return to farming.
The village chief, HRH Mohammed Bature, described the situation as worrisome.
He said the last time the school’s head teacher and one other teacher reported for duty was two years ago, citing insecurity as their reason for leaving.
“When there were cases of kidnapping in rural communities, both the headmaster and one teacher stopped coming to the school.
Since then, all efforts to get teachers posted back have failed,” Bature said.
The school, which once served the village’s children, has now been overtaken by weeds, while its buildings are in a dilapidated state.
Bature revealed that the last time he saw the head teacher was in March 2024 when he requested a list of pupils.
“I even gave him land to farm when he told me he liked farming, hoping it would encourage him to stay. But after the kidnappings, he left and never returned,” he said.
Parents in the community have repeatedly appealed to the Kwali Area Council’s education authorities to send new teachers, arguing that security has improved. However, their calls have gone unanswered.
A visit to the school revealed that the structure is in ruins, with its roof blown off and classrooms abandoned. Attempts to reach the Secretary of the LEA in Kwali, Danlami Leda, for comments were unsuccessful.
Source : Daily Trust
