- Olowu disclosed that the alumni association had repeatedly alerted the Ogun State Ministry of Education
- Olowu appealed to the Ministry of Education to take urgent action
At the Agbado District Comprehensive High School in the Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State, a one-story structure with 10 classroom blocks has fallen.
On Saturday afternoon following a downpour, the building fell, shocking the neighbourhood.
Locals claimed that if the building had collapsed during the school day, students and instructors might have been hurt.
Witnesses said the situation was “a calamity waiting to happen,” and they blamed the administration for not responding to alarm cries at the crumbling structure.
It was learnt that the collapsed building had been a cause for concern for over 15 years as it posed a serious threat to the lives of students and staff.
Kolawole Adelani, a welder and resident of Oke Aro, recounted: “The school building collapsed on Saturday. I witnessed it. It happened when it was raining. The building had been there for more than 15 years and was plagued with structural issues. We all knew it would give way one day, but the authorities did nothing about it. Thank God, no lives were lost. This would have been a disaster if it had happened during the weekdays.”
The President of the Agbado District Old Students’ Association (ADCHSOSA), Ganiyu Olowu, said the building collapse at his alma mater “was a disaster foreseen.”
Olowu disclosed that the alumni association had repeatedly alerted the Ogun State Ministry of Education about the deteriorating condition of the building and the potential danger it posed to students.
“As stakeholders working with the state government to ensure holistic education across the state, we drew the attention of the former commissioner to the alarming state of the building. We were assured that a team would be sent to inspect the site. While they did visit, no action was taken on this massive classroom project initiated by Senator Iyabo Obasanjo-Bello many years ago. As we speak, there are parts of the collapsed building that can cause more havoc when students are around,” he stated.
Olowu appealed to the Ministry of Education to take urgent action.