No toilets, doors, Obi, ADC candidate decry rot in FCT schools

Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, on Tuesday took a swipe at the government over the appalling condition of public schools in the nation’s capital, describing it as a national disgrace that exposes Nigeria’s hollow commitment to education.

Obi, who toured the LEA Primary School in Kapwa, Abuja, alongside the African Democratic Congress chairmanship candidate for Abuja Municipal Area Council, Dr Moses Paul, said he was shocked to find classrooms without chairs or toilets — a scene he said “no responsible nation should tolerate.”

“I am here today to support my brother, the ADC candidate contesting for the AMAC Council,” Obi said. “He told me about some dilapidated schools, even without chairs for teachers. They have no toilet.

“So I told him, let us go and see it. That’s what I believe leaders should do — visit schools and other public facilities to see things. As governor, I visited all the primary and secondary schools in Anambra State. I always like going to see it.

“If you talk about sincerity of purpose in Nigerian politics today, you cannot count me as one who is insincere. I’m the only person who finished in office and left public money.”

The ADC candidate, who has been visiting schools and hospitals in AMAC as part of his campaign, said the rot in the education sector within the council reflected years of neglect and mismanagement.

“The schools are dilapidated, no chairs, toilet facilities, proper ventilation and doors. Since education is the first human capital development index, we have now decided to attend to some of these issues,” he lamented

Paul, who holds a PhD in Environmental Resource Planning and has lectured globally, vowed to prioritise education and health if elected.

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“My primary aim is to ensure that no child will be out of school for one day,” he said.

“I’ve gotten grants from Americans and others to put children in school, even through my foundation. As chairman of AMAC, I’ll interface with embassies and the EU to pool resources together. What I’m going to do will be completely different from what any chairman of AMAC has ever done.”

He said AMAC under his watch would be transformed “from a position of insecurity to critical engagement with women and children,” stressing that “health and education are priorities.”

The visit once again threw a harsh spotlight on the crumbling state of public education in the Federal Capital Territory.

The visit comes amid growing public concern over the state of public education in Abuja.

In February 2023, it was reported similar conditions at the LEA School in Zone 9, Lugbe, where pupils reportedly close by noon to allow secondary students to use the same classrooms due to a shortage of space.

Despite being part of the largest area council in the FCT, many schools under AMAC remain poorly equipped — lacking desks, teachers, and basic amenities needed for effective learning.