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Imo State government’s decision to demolish Umuoba village’s only primary school has ignited a firestorm of protests and anger among the community, leaving many to wonder about the future of education in the area.
The school’s demolition has plunged the community into chaos, leaving students without a place to learn and their parents without a sense of security. The lack of alternative arrangements and compensation has only exacerbated the situation.
Engr. Chibuzor Okorie, the community’s chief representative, expressed outrage over the school’s destruction, which he attributed to the state government’s unilateral land acquisition, done without compensating the villagers or even informing them of the plans.
Engr. Okorie recounted the school’s fascinating history, which began in the 1970s. During the war, the government repurposed the land, including the school’s location, as a military camp, a decision that continues to shape the community’s narrative.
According to him, “After the war, they (the military) left and the government was servicing it.
“The police squadron was using part of the land and was paying rent to the village. It also paid for some economic trees they cut down but they did not pay compensation for the land because the land was not handed over to them for full ownership. They only paid rent.
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“However, the school was still on the land and was functional. However, our people asked the police squadron to leave the place but the mobile police unit refused to go out even when they had been transferred to Owerri.
“The entire land space is more than 100 hectares of land cited along Orlu-Amaigbo road.”
He added, “They have been using the land but our school activities continued on the land. I visited the school as the chairman of the village.
“The headmistress called me and we went for a landlord association meeting to make sure that the school and the environment were properly taken care of. Late last year, I got the village youths to help the pupils clear the school field. We bought new football posts for them.
“Not up to four months ago, the school management conducted me around the school so that we could know some amendments we can make. Suddenly, in April this year, we started noticing some movement around the school and the entire environment.
