July 30, 2026
Residents of Agbaugama Community in Ezzagu/Ohofia Ward, Ishielu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, have expressed concern over the deteriorating condition of Igwebuike Primary School, alleging that the facility has been abandoned by the state government after it was vandalised more than a year ago.
Community members said the school’s damaged classrooms have left pupils learning in unsafe and severely dilapidated conditions, while also citing a shortage of teachers, poor road access, and a lack of basic infrastructure.
According to community leader Ezeka Godwin, suspected vandals stripped the school’s roofing sheets and timber framework over a year ago. Although the suspects were reportedly arrested and handed over to security agencies, he alleged that the school has not been rehabilitated.
Godwin further claimed that officials of the Ebonyi State Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB) inspected the damage but informed the community that the suspects would be required to pay ₦75 million, which the board allegedly said represented the cost of constructing the affected building, before rehabilitation could commence.
He also stated that despite assurances that the school would be upgraded to a secondary school to address the absence of such a facility in the community, no rehabilitation or construction work has begun.
Residents said pupils continue to study in unsafe classrooms while children seeking secondary education are forced to travel several kilometres to neighbouring communities.
In addition to concerns over education, community members criticised the poor condition of roads and the lack of basic amenities in the area. They also raised allegations regarding the management of local government funds, claiming inadequate resources had been allocated for development projects.
The community has appealed to the Ebonyi State Government to urgently rehabilitate the vandalised school, recruit more qualified teachers, improve road infrastructure, and provide a safer learning environment for pupils.
As of the time of this report, the Ebonyi State Government, the Ebonyi State Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB), and the Ishielu Local Government Council had not publicly responded to the allegations. SaharaReporters also reported that efforts to obtain comments from the council chairperson were unsuccessful before publication.
