Despite release of funds, multi-million naira classroom projects are missing in Lagos

BY ABDULSEMIU MONSUROH

When an unidentified man approached the management of St Paul’s Catholic Nursery and Primary School, Ebute Metta, Lagos state, with talks of constructing new classrooms in 2022, their hearts leaped up with joy.

A general hall was dilapidated and almost collapsing at St Paul’s, so the head teacher and her assistant, Agbaje E.T, took time to explain the dire need of the school — a general hall — while touring the dilapidated one with “the said man”, who eventually left with promises to return but never did.

“We took the man to the hall and explained to him how we want it rebuilt. The hall can be reconstructed in such a way that it can be converted into three classrooms using demarcations, that way it would serve a dual purpose — a hall and classrooms,” Agbaje said.

“He noted our explanation and promised to return to do the construction. Since then, we haven’t seen him. Earlier this year, a man and a woman also came from Universal Basic Education (UBEC) asking about the classrooms, we told them that nothing has been constructed as we hadn’t seen the man again.

“We hold general activities for our students on the open field because the hall is dilapidated and can no longer be used. We erect canopies during occasions when the activities are for long hours.

“Before the hall was badly damaged by wind and rain, it not only served this school but also other schools in this environment. We held joint activities there. It would be of great value if the hall is reconstructed.”

UDEME observed that some classrooms in the main building of the school are currently not in use. Some classrooms were used to store broken chairs, lockers, and old books; the school doesn’t appear to need more classrooms.

THE ZONAL INTERVENTION PROJECTS (ZIPS)

St Paul’s Catholic Nursery and Primary School was one of the five schools selected to receive three-unit blocks of classrooms, toilet, and motorised borehole by Oluremi Tinubu, the former senator representing Lagos Central Senatorial District as part of the 2022 federal government zonal intervention projects (ZIPs), with an allocated fund of N220 million. The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) was the ministry in charge.

The other four schools are The Apostolic Church Primary School, Osholake/Kadara Beach, Ebute-Metta; Hon Kazeem Alimi Memorial Nursery and Primary School, Resettlement area, Ajah; Langbasa Primary School, Eti-Osa; and Ansar-ud-deen (AUD) Primary School, Aboyade Cole, Victoria Island.

Documents from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, obtained by Udeme, indicate that funds have been released for the 2022 zonal intervention projects.

Findings by UDEME, however, revealed that only one of these schools has benefited from the classroom project despite the multi-million naira allocation. Four of these schools did not need new classroom buildings or space to accommodate such construction, to begin with.

ZIPs was first established in Nigeria in 1999 by the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to promote equitable grassroots infrastructure development in Nigeria.

ZIPs are fully backed by intervention funds allocated to implement projects in all the constituencies in the country each budget cycle.

Members of the two legislative chambers (the senate and house of representatives) nominate projects that would be executed in their constituencies depending on the amounts allocated for these projects under ZIP in the approved budget.

The programme has been adopted by successive administrations from 1999 to the present.

INVISIBLE CLASSROOMS

A visit to the address of The Apostolic Church Nursery and Primary School led UDEME to a mechanic/carpentry workshop and children’s playground.

A resident and trader in the area, Usman, informed UDEME that the buildings of The Apostolic Church Primary School were demolished and students relocated many years ago.

Akanni Rafiu, a resident in the area and worker in the mechanic workshop said he attended The Apostolic Nursery and Primary School.

“I was in primary five (5) when we were relocated to share classrooms with pupils in Salvation Army Primary School, Abeokuta/Freeman Street and that was in 2009,” Akanni said.

Azeez Isiaq, another resident in the area, also said he attended The Apostolic Primary School and graduated in 2003 and noted that “the school was eventually demolished 12 years ago after it served as a gambling den for about two years”.

UDEME was shown the remains of the fence of the school and the carcass of the classrooms.

A trip to Abeokuta/Freeman Street confirmed that The Apostolic Primary School indeed shared classes with the host school, Salvation Army Primary School.

Lateef Ogubambi, the chairman of The Kadara/Marina Community Development Association, spoke on the reason behind the demolition of the school and the difficulties faced in rebuilding it.

“The Apostolic Primary School was originally vacated due to incessant flooding during the rainy seasons which posed a great risk to the safety of our children and their teachers,” Ogubambi said.

“The school buildings were eventually demolished some years later when it became a haven for gamblers and kidnappers. The mechanics and carpenters were in search of a place to establish their workshop so they settled on the school’s site as it was empty at the time.

“We have received a visitation from government agencies like UBEC multiple times and we are cooperating with them to ensure that the school is rebuilt.”

UDEME observed that the site of the school is only a three-minute walk to the Lagos Lagoon and the ground of the site was waterlogged; hence the 2022 ZIP project has not been executed in the listed address of The Apostolic Primary School.

A visit and tour of Hon Kazeem Memorial Nursery and Primary School by UDEME revealed that the 2022 ZIP project has not been executed.

However, in 2022, the school, which adjoins Resettlement Community Junior Secondary School, received the construction of a block of three classrooms, a project of the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals SDGS/ (OSSAP- SDDS), facilitated by Obanikoro Ibrahim, the lawmaker representing Eti Osa Federal constituency.

Langbasa Primary School is the only school where the 2022 ZIP project has been constructed.

Abinleko Ismail, a teacher in the school, noted that the construction took place in late 2022 and was completed in 2023. However, the classrooms have not been furnished and are not in use yet.

The project was contracted to Isyours Investment Limited, an Abuja-based investment company, according to the project plaque found in the school.

UDEME also discovered that the perimeter fencing demarcating the school from other private properties has fallen.

A visit to A.U.D primary school by UDEME also revealed that the 2022 ZIP project has not been executed in the school.

Flanked on both sides by three other bigger schools, A.U.D primary school has a block of six classrooms (Primary 1 – 6), a block of offices, and toilet facilities for staff and students.

UDEME observed that there’s little to no free space left in the school compound to accommodate the 2022 ZIP project.

Busola Kukoyi, the special adviser to Oluremi Tinubu, was contacted to enquire if the former senator is aware of the status of the project she facilitated for the district, but there she didn’t provide any feedback despite several reminders.

At the time of filing this report, UDEME can confirm that only one of the listed schools has benefited from the 2022 classroom construction project despite full funding.

This report was produced under the UDEME project of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID).