How Community Protested Neglect of Federal School in Eziagu

                                  

It was like a dream but real protest. About five thousand residents of Eziagu , a community in Orumba South local government area woke up one eerie hour of penultimate Wednesday, and forced the closure of  Demonstration Secondary School at Eziagu, owned by the Federal Government College of Education (Technical), Umunze, Anambra state.  The protest although peaceful was massive that the re-opening of the college was shifted for one more week. 

Thousands of placard carrying people from the sleepy community were protesting over alleged non recognition by the federal government of the school in their community as originally agreed before handing over the structures and school they built to Federal Government.

Waving placards, some of which read “We want to know the status of our school”, “Give us our land back”, “We say no to cheating”, “The labour of our forefathers shall not be in vain” and “It is time we took our destiny in our hands”, we say no to exploitation ‘’, Eziagu community is equal to the task,’’ The Principal Mr Chike Obienyem must go’’, The principal Mr Obienyem is very arrogant , he must go‘’, , the protesters also carried green leaves which they heaped at the gate of the school after chanting war songs round the community.

                                                         
                                      

             

Everybody in the community followed the peaceful protest which ended at the Demonstration secondary school gate at 10:34 am have girls, boys, men and women as well as children and aged.

Before embarking on the protest, the people assembled as early as 5 am where they were addressed by community leaders on the history of the school and why there was need for the community to repossess the property it donated to the old Anambra State government 23 years ago before retrieving it and donating same to Federal Government through Umunze College of Education (Technical).

But, peace has finally returned to the school after the leadership of the Community and the Management of Federal Government College (Technical), Umunze met to look into their grievances at the Divisional police Headquarters Umunze.

The Provost of the College , Prof Josephat Ogbuagu led the team from the college while the President General Eziagu Town Dr John Ofobike led the Community leaders. They looked into the reasons for the protest in the first place with the Provost unhappy that the demonstration was carried out when nobody including the President General had brought his attention to the issues that led to the protest in the first place but the community explained why it had to be so but expressed regret that the Provost was not informed. They both resolved to pursue peace for the betterment of the community and students. 

                             

    

 Ogbuagu added that the issues they raised preceded him as Provost of the college and presented documents attesting that the 15 hectares of land was handed over to the Federal Government by the community as acknowledged by Prof Ben Nwabueze then Secretary for Education and Youth Development in 1993.

President General of Eziagu Improvement Union, Dr. John Ofobike, who addressed the people, recalled that the community donated 29 hectares of land on which they built a fully furnished teacher training college which was handed over to the state government.

According to him, with the phasing out of the teacher training college, the Anambra State government, in 1993, handed over all the structures and equipment, including 180kva generating set, belonging to the community to the Federal Ministry of Education which, in turn, handed it over to the Federal College of Education (Technical), Umunze as Demonstration Secondary School.

Ofobike said: “In May 2013, the MDG monitoring and evaluation team came to the school during a census to ascertain the number of secondary and primary schools in the state and to our surprise, there was no record of Demonstration Secondary School, Eziagu which was an indication that it is being run as a private institution by some officials of Federal College of Education, Umunze.

“Besides, the school management has continuously marginalized the Eziagu indigenes in the area of employment and school enrolment despite preponderance of eligible candidates from the community.

                                            

 “In addition, no indigene of the community is a member of the governing council of the school or in the executive of the Parents Teachers Association.

“For peace to reign in the school the principal of the school must be removed and 60 percent of the non –academic workforce must be Eziagu indigenes. The authorities of the school should also rehabilitate two major roads in the community and provide water to the people from the existing pipe borne water from the school.”

  

History of the College

23 years old Demonstration Secondary School, Eziagu, situates at the former Teacher Training College, Eziagu Compound, Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State.

The land on which the former Teacher Training College    (TTC), Eziagu was built was part of the over 29 hectares of land, voluntarily donated by over 150 peasant farmers of Eziagu Community.

With the phasing out of the Teacher Training College by the Government of the day, the Government of Anambra State in 1993, handed over the former Teacher Training College and all the structures and equipment (including an I80kva generator)    formerly   built    and    donated   by    Eziagu Community to the Federal Ministry of Education, who in turn, handed over same to the Federal College of Education (Technical)    Umunze, as Demonstration Secondary School.

Further clarifications

Ofobike claimed that Anambra State Government did not build any structures in the College. The building of the structures, i.e. administrative/ classroom blocks, dormitories, and the purchase of school equipment, which were handed over to the Federal Government, were entirely financed by Eziagu Community with funds generated through its fund raising activities, viz: launchings, levies, fines, voluntary donations from individuals, the ten villages, the churches, age grades, women and youth associations and even elementary school children,

The Federal Ministry of Education, under the headship of the then Federal Minister of Education - - Prof. Ben Nwabueze, accepted the offer from Anambra State Government; vide reference letter number HSE/FMG/19/11 of 9^th March, 1993.

What the school stood for according to Ofobike

The Federal Government policy on education, stipulates that Demonstration Secondary Schools should serve as practicing schools for teaching practice and also create jobs. The Federal Ministry of Education made provisions in the budget, for the execution of these projects, released funds for their execution, as well as brought out modalities on how to run these schools. However, the then Federal College of Education (Technical) Umunze administration deviated from this original policy by not utilizing the initial grant meant for the establishment of structures in the Demonstration Secondary School, Eziagu, which otherwise would have benefited the community one way or the other.

The situation that warranted their protest

Since the initial grant released for putting up structures in the so called Demonstration Secondary School, Eziagu was not utilized by the Demonstration Secondary School administration, no new structures have been put in place, other than the ones built and donated by Eziagu Community, contrary to the Federal Government policy on education.

In May 2013, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) monitoring and evaluation team came to the school in their quest to take census of the   number   of  primary/secondary   schools,   belonging   to   the Federal/ State Government in Anambr-a State, it was observed that Demonstration Secondary School, Eziagu, was neither listed under State Secondary Schools nor Federal Government owned Secondary Schools in the State and the Federal College of Education (Technical) which it is supposed to be affiliated, never mentioned it as its subsidiary. The MDG team led by one Chinyere Ogbodo was denied entrance at the demonstration college.

Prior to the coming up of the MDGs monitoring and evaluation team, the sign post leading into the institution read "Demonstration Secondary School, Eziagu". But soon after the visitation of the monitoring and evaluation team, the management of Federal College of Education (Technical) Umunze, upon discovering that Eziagu Community have discovered that Demonstration Secondary School Eziagu was not found either in the list of State or Federal schools in the State, smartly went and removed the sign post in the entrance of the school gate, which prior to its removal, red "Demonstration Secondary School Eziagu" (a subsidiary of Federal College of Education (Technical), instead of the initial inscription, which red -Federal Demonstration Secondary School, Eziagu.

No federal presence in the form of provision of social and economic infrastructure (roads, pipe borne water, electricity, etc) has been noticed in Eziagu Community as a result of the presence of the Demonstration Secondary School. Eziagu.

The school management has continuously marginalized the Eziagu indigenes in the area of employment and school enrolment from year to year, since the inception of the school, despite the preponderance of eligible male and female candidates to fill the positions from the community. In addition, no indigene of Eziagu Community is a member of the governing council of the Demonstration Secondary School, Eziagu, as well as a member of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) executive. Available evidence has now shown that a few individuals of Federal College of Education (Technical) Umunze are manipulating the happenings in the Demonstration Secondary School, Eziagu, contrary to the Federal Government original Policy on the establishment   of Demonstration   Secondary   Schools,   and   this   is detrimental to Eziagu Community.

The Effect on Eziagu as they claimed

Eziagu community said the Federal College of Education (Technical) Umunze management failed in their corporate social responsibility in several ways, some of which includes: non payment of compensation to over 150 Eziagu peasant farmers, who provided the school land.

Non allocation of quota for employment to Eziagu Community.

Non   provision   of economic/social   responsibilities   to   the   host community.

Non erection of new structures in the school except those built by the PTA not minding the amount, contrary to the Federal Government policy on education.

Non payment of electricity bill for over 20yrs of existence of the Federal Demonstration Secondary School in Eziagu Community, among others.

They lamented too that no compensation was paid anybody since then and when they protested the Federal Government promised to pay N293,000 for economic trees which they turned down because they were initially told N15 Million.

Their Prayers and demands

Federal College of Education (Technical) Umunze is respectfully invited to note the fore-going and take appropriate measures immediately to ensure that the purported Federal Demonstration Secondary School, Eziagu is recognized by the Federal Ministry of Education as a federal institution, so as to meet up with the yearnings and aspirations of Eziagu Community.

The President General of Eziagu Community Dr John A. Ofobike and Secretary General ,Comrade Asika, Nnanyerenwa made some requests from the Demonstration College which included, ‘’that the principal of Demonstration Secondary School, Eziagu, should be removed.

‘’That sixty percent of the non-academic work force ranging from - cooks, labourers, cleaners, drivers, security personnel, potters and potteresses, matron(s) etc. must be Eziagu indigenes,

‘’That  2  permanent  slots  should  be  given  to  Eziagu indigenes in the Parent Teacher Association (PTA).

‘’That a minimum of 20 slots of student enrolment should be given to Eziagu Community annually. That rehabilitation of at least 2 major roads leading to the Demonstration   Secondary   School   Eziagu,   precisely, Ikpanwojukwu and St. Augustine's roads be done by the management of Demonstration Secondary School, Eziagu.

That Eziagu Community should be given about 10 taps of water from the premises of Demonstration Secondary School, Eziagu. Provision of contingency funds for emergency purposes.

That the Demonstration Secondary School, Eziagu should ensure speedy payment of electricity bills, as well as remedy the  accrued  arrears  of electricity bills  to  the  Eziagu Community.

‘’That the Eziagu Improvement Union (EIU) should be notified of employment slots, so as to enable her provide the management of the Demonstration Secondary School, Eziagu with the right candidates.

That any job, either by contract or direct labour, not exceeding one million naira should be reserved for Eziagu indigenes. That the Demonstration Secondary School, Eziagu shall henceforth not encroach on Eziagu land, aside from those officially allocated to them.

 Federal Government angle  

But the Secretary for Education and Youth Development then Prof Ben Nwabueze wrote then Commissioner for Education Anambra state Mrs V.V.I Okoye, ‘’I was glad to get your letter in which your Government offered the Federal Government 15 hectares of land belonging to Eziagu T.T.C. including a Giant Plant and infrastructures for the use of Umunze Federal College of Education (Technical); as a Staff Demonstration Secondary School.

 ‘’I am pleased to accept the gift on behalf of the Federal Government,   and wish most sincerely to thank His Excellency, Governor Chukwemeka Ezeife, and the State Government for this Kind gesture.

As indicated in your letter, I shall discuss with Governor Ezeife the mechanics for the mind-over of the property to the Federal Government.

Police
The Divisional Police Officer at Umunze then C.A Amalu in a letter to the provost then for handover of the Phased out Teachers Training College to Umunze College of Education ((FCE(T)Umunze) said ,’’I refer to a letter dated 25th January, 1994 addressed to this office by the Chairman, State Education Commission, Anambra State and forward herewith the keys of the phased-out Teacher Training College Eziagu which were in my possession as instructed.

                                     

Hand over of Land by Community  

And it would be recalled that in 1993 , 13^th December, these people H.R.H. Igwe J.M. Chukwudike; Mr. S.C.A. Anusike, Secretary; Mr. Agodi Nwafor; Engr. P.A. Nwankwor wrote in an address presented to Provost of Federal College of Education (Technical), Umunze stating thus,’’ we have since been anticipating your visit to our town. But owing to circumstances beyond your control, you have not been able to do it until now. This time, that God in his infinite mercy has made it possible for you to be with us, we say welcome to you.

‘’We are observing with interest your assistance and suggestions for the take of the Federal Demonstration Secondary School sited at Eziagu. Eziagu. Your trips to the ministry of Education, Co-operation with members of our committee and the Igwe of Eziagu are the evidence that you are really out to help. You have now reached the culminating point by making all Eziagu citizens to see you in person, and to hear from the horses’ mouth.

‘’We therefore humbly ask that the good work which you have already started be brought to a logical conclusion by seeing to it that the school takes off early in January 1994 as proposed’’.

The other side of the coin

Youths led by Ejike Umenwa had wanted a violent protest having sought audience with all relevant authorities as they claimed including the Provost but were snubbed but for the intervention of the President General. They were bitter that 23 years of the school existence nothing to show for it and there was no additional structures than what they had before handing it over, but had to listen to their elders.

They wondered why the Nursery and Primary sections should be listed in the under Federal Government College (T) without the Secondary section.  With the attitude the protest would have developed into more serious tension in the two school community-Eziagu and Umunze but for the maturity the leadership of the College applied by inviting the community to a round table talk.