Ekiugbo-Ughelli people in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State have stopped the Diocese of the Catholic Church, Warri, from running its two missionary schools in the community.
This followed a feud between the church and the state government on the establishment of a new school in the church’s premises.
Schools whose operations have been suspended are the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus Model School and the St Theresa’s Grammar School, in Ekiugbo-Ughelli, owned by the Catholic Church.
The Catholic Church originally operated St. Theresa’s Grammar School, but the state government under the administration of Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, took it over and renovated some of the buildings.
The administration later changed its mind and returned the school to the owners. But it renamed St. Theresa’s Secondary School as Government Secondary School. But the church I protest went to court in protest, saying the school belongs to it and the name should remain as it was
Five years ago, the church obtained a court injunction and stalled an arrangement to admit students into the new school.
On October 25, protesting villagers shut down the two schools run by the Catholic Church in the community. They vowed that until the Government Secondary School becomes functional, academic activities would remain grounded at both Eucharistic Heart of Jesus Model School and the St Theresa’s Secondary School, on the opposite side of the road in the town.
Addressing the press during the protest, the president general of the community, Baker Bernard, argued that: “The school was built by the Delta State government so that the low-income people and less-privileged can be able to have secondary school education.
“It came as a surprise to us that after people have collected forms and the admission process has commenced, the Catholic Church that owns the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus Model School and St. Theresa’s School went to court and stopped the process that the school belongs to them.
“I believe all lands belong to the government and the government has the prerogative to collect any land and if you have anything on it, the government has to compensate you, even if you have buildings on it.
“Since that time (five years ago), no academic activity is going on there and the less privileged cannot afford expensive St Theresa’s School, controlled by the Catholic Church. We have been telling them that this other one (Government Secondary School) belongs to the government; allow the government to operate it.
“The government has been trying to operate it but because of the court injunction, it has been unable to do so. If you go to our community, a lot of girls are just roaming about because their parents cannot afford the high rate of school fees.
“I think this is the seventh year and nothing is happening. I do not know what is in their mind. Even if they want compensation; that is not enough for them to say they must shut the education system in the community,” he said.
Giving further details, he said: “The church did not buy the land. Initially, when they came, they said they want land, you know in those days, people do not show interest in the sale of land.
“They entered into an agreement that every year, they will train one person from the families. Do you know that for those donkey years, it is only one person that they trained and that is a breach of contract?
“Second, they were supposed to be paying some amount of money every year, but they never paid. When the government took over schools, they erected some buildings, so I do not know why they are saying they have something to do on that land, which they did not buy, and under the lease, there was a breach of contract.
“Everybody is yearning to get what is right for them. There were three schools of this nature built by that administration. One in each of the three senatorial districts; therefore, this school is for Delta Central senatorial district. What we are saying is simple: no government school, no Eucharistic and St Theresa’s schools. The three schools will be open on the same day.”
In his reaction, the Chancellor of the Diocese, Rev. Fr. Clement Abobo, said: “This administration started this whole problem. We have St. Theresa’s Grammar School occupying both sides of the road in Ekiugbo. That school has always been a Catholic School.
“Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan’s administration promised to return schools to missions. They had forcefully taken over the schools and they kept to their word to return them. They renovated some and handed them to the various mission schools.
“St. Theresa’s Grammar School was returned to Catholic Church, but the government decided to renovate the other part as they did at St. Patrick’s College, Asaba and other schools in Delta State.
“After renovating the other part, from nowhere, they came and said government wants to use it and we said no, that it is our school. We had a series of meetings, the government started talking from both sides of the mouth; that they are constrained; that they want a government school in Ekiugbo, and, therefore, they want to give the church some amount of money.
“We told them we do not need money from the government. If the government has so much money, they should use the money to go and build another school for the Ekiugbo community.
“Of course, you will not blame the Ekuigbo community people because most of them, who are protesting now do not know exactly what the government is trying to use them to do.
“It may not necessarily be the governor; it may be some persons trying to score cheap political marks. They should go and get another plot of land and insist that government should give them another school, not taking our school to give to them.
“The case is in court, if they want the government to give them attention, it is not for them to close down our school. They should go and close all government schools in Ughelli so that government can give them attention.
“They should go and ask the government at what point and time did that school become a government school. It has always been a Catholic Church school,” he said.
When Vanguard contacted the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary School Education, Mrs. Rose Ezewu, she declined to comment on the issue.
