.jpeg)
Education
Aiyedatiwa slammed for neglecting public schools in Ilaje’s Riverine Communities.
Written By: Emmanuel Ikhenebome
31 Aug 2025 03:00 AM
Ilaje, Ondo – Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State faces mounting criticism for what residents and stakeholders describe as gross neglect of public schools in the riverine communities of Ilaje Local Government Area (LGA).
Despite his administration’s touted infrastructure projects and educational reforms, schools in these coastal areas remain in deplorable conditions, leaving students and parents grappling with crumbling facilities, inadequate resources, and a bleak future for education in the oil-rich region.
The Ilaje LGA, a key oil-producing area, has long been a focal point for development promises, yet public schools in communities like Obe-Nla, Ode Mahin, and Ebute Ipare languish in disrepair.
Reports from residents paint a grim picture: dilapidated classrooms, leaking roofs, and a severe shortage of teaching materials.
At Community High School in Ode Mahin and Laje Grammar School in Atijire, students reportedly sit on the floor due to a lack of desks, while teachers struggle with outdated or nonexistent textbooks.
“Our children are learning under conditions that are unfit for animals.
“Governor Aiyedatiwa claims to prioritize education, but where is the evidence in Ilaje?”, said Mrs. Felicia Ebi, a parent in Ebute Ipare.
Despite the governor’s approval of a N3.5 billion counterpart fund for the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) in September 2024, aimed at renovating public primary schools across Ondo State, critics argue that Ilaje’s riverine schools have been largely overlooked.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State has accused Aiyedatiwa of using the fund as a political gimmick ahead of the November 2024 gubernatorial election, with little tangible impact on schools in remote areas.
“The governor’s so-called education reforms are a campaign strategy, not a genuine effort,” said Kennedy Peretei, PDP Publicity Secretary.
“Ilaje’s schools are crumbling, and the 250,000 out-of-school children in Ondo State are a testament to his failure.”
While Aiyedatiwa has touted projects like the construction of classroom blocks at Community High School, Ode Mahin, and Laje Grammar School, Atijire, as well as Igi Moni Community Girls School in Ebute Ipare, locals argue these are isolated efforts that fail to address the systemic neglect.
“Building a few classrooms doesn’t solve the problem when most schools lack teachers, books, or even functional buildings,”, a community leader in Obe-Nla told this online newspaper
He pointed out that the governor’s focus on high-profile infrastructure, like the 32.7km Alape-Araromi Seaside Road and a 1,000-meter concrete walkway in Obe-Nla, overshadows the dire educational crisis.
The neglect is particularly galling given Ilaje’s economic significance as an oil-producing region.
Residents argue that the wealth generated from their communities should translate into better schools and opportunities for their children.
Instead, they accuse Aiyedatiwa of prioritizing urban areas and politically expedient projects.
“Ilaje’s oil funds Nigeria’s economy, yet our schools are left to rot,” an appointee of the governor, who do not want to be named argued.
Adding to the frustration, Aiyedatiwa’s much-publicized “Boy-Child Initiative” and classroom visits, such as his viral teaching session in May 2025, are dismissed as publicity stunts by Ilaje residents.
“He can teach on a chalkboard for the cameras, but when will he visit our schools in Ilaje to see the real conditions?” asked Mrs. Ebi.
The governor’s claim of distributing 75,000 textbooks and Android tablets rings hollow in riverine areas, where such resources are scarce or nonexistent.
Stakeholders are also critical of Aiyedatiwa’s failure to address environmental challenges like sea incursions in Aiyetoro, which disrupt access to education.
While the governor has promised temporary and long-term solutions, including shoreline protection, progress remains slow, leaving students cut off from schools during floods.
“Our children miss weeks of classes because of flooding, and the governor’s response is all talk,” said a teacher in Aiyetoro.
As Aiyedatiwa, a native of Obe-Nla, campaigns for a legacy of development in Ondo State, his apparent indifference to Ilaje’s public schools has sparked outrage.
Community leaders and parents are demanding immediate action—renovation of dilapidated schools, provision of adequate learning materials, and recruitment of qualified teachers.
“Governor Aiyedatiwa must stop neglecting Ilaje’s children.
“If he truly believes in education, let him show it where it matters most.”, the Obe Nla community leader added
The governor’s office has yet to respond to these allegations, but the growing discontent in Ilaje threatens to tarnish Aiyedatiwa’s reputation as a leader committed to equitable development.
With the 2024 election behind him, the pressure is on to deliver on promises and address the educational crisis in Ilaje’s riverine communities before his tenure ends in 2029.
Despite his administration’s touted infrastructure projects and educational reforms, schools in these coastal areas remain in deplorable conditions, leaving students and parents grappling with crumbling facilities, inadequate resources, and a bleak future for education in the oil-rich region.
The Ilaje LGA, a key oil-producing area, has long been a focal point for development promises, yet public schools in communities like Obe-Nla, Ode Mahin, and Ebute Ipare languish in disrepair.
Reports from residents paint a grim picture: dilapidated classrooms, leaking roofs, and a severe shortage of teaching materials.
At Community High School in Ode Mahin and Laje Grammar School in Atijire, students reportedly sit on the floor due to a lack of desks, while teachers struggle with outdated or nonexistent textbooks.
“Our children are learning under conditions that are unfit for animals.
“Governor Aiyedatiwa claims to prioritize education, but where is the evidence in Ilaje?”, said Mrs. Felicia Ebi, a parent in Ebute Ipare.
Despite the governor’s approval of a N3.5 billion counterpart fund for the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) in September 2024, aimed at renovating public primary schools across Ondo State, critics argue that Ilaje’s riverine schools have been largely overlooked.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State has accused Aiyedatiwa of using the fund as a political gimmick ahead of the November 2024 gubernatorial election, with little tangible impact on schools in remote areas.
“The governor’s so-called education reforms are a campaign strategy, not a genuine effort,” said Kennedy Peretei, PDP Publicity Secretary.
“Ilaje’s schools are crumbling, and the 250,000 out-of-school children in Ondo State are a testament to his failure.”
While Aiyedatiwa has touted projects like the construction of classroom blocks at Community High School, Ode Mahin, and Laje Grammar School, Atijire, as well as Igi Moni Community Girls School in Ebute Ipare, locals argue these are isolated efforts that fail to address the systemic neglect.
“Building a few classrooms doesn’t solve the problem when most schools lack teachers, books, or even functional buildings,”, a community leader in Obe-Nla told this online newspaper
He pointed out that the governor’s focus on high-profile infrastructure, like the 32.7km Alape-Araromi Seaside Road and a 1,000-meter concrete walkway in Obe-Nla, overshadows the dire educational crisis.
The neglect is particularly galling given Ilaje’s economic significance as an oil-producing region.
Residents argue that the wealth generated from their communities should translate into better schools and opportunities for their children.
Instead, they accuse Aiyedatiwa of prioritizing urban areas and politically expedient projects.
“Ilaje’s oil funds Nigeria’s economy, yet our schools are left to rot,” an appointee of the governor, who do not want to be named argued.
Adding to the frustration, Aiyedatiwa’s much-publicized “Boy-Child Initiative” and classroom visits, such as his viral teaching session in May 2025, are dismissed as publicity stunts by Ilaje residents.
“He can teach on a chalkboard for the cameras, but when will he visit our schools in Ilaje to see the real conditions?” asked Mrs. Ebi.
The governor’s claim of distributing 75,000 textbooks and Android tablets rings hollow in riverine areas, where such resources are scarce or nonexistent.
Stakeholders are also critical of Aiyedatiwa’s failure to address environmental challenges like sea incursions in Aiyetoro, which disrupt access to education.
While the governor has promised temporary and long-term solutions, including shoreline protection, progress remains slow, leaving students cut off from schools during floods.
“Our children miss weeks of classes because of flooding, and the governor’s response is all talk,” said a teacher in Aiyetoro.
As Aiyedatiwa, a native of Obe-Nla, campaigns for a legacy of development in Ondo State, his apparent indifference to Ilaje’s public schools has sparked outrage.
Community leaders and parents are demanding immediate action—renovation of dilapidated schools, provision of adequate learning materials, and recruitment of qualified teachers.
“Governor Aiyedatiwa must stop neglecting Ilaje’s children.
“If he truly believes in education, let him show it where it matters most.”, the Obe Nla community leader added
The governor’s office has yet to respond to these allegations, but the growing discontent in Ilaje threatens to tarnish Aiyedatiwa’s reputation as a leader committed to equitable development.
With the 2024 election behind him, the pressure is on to deliver on promises and address the educational crisis in Ilaje’s riverine communities before his tenure ends in 2029.
Comments