Ogun demolishes shanties, makeshift structures

In line with its Safer School Initiative, the Ogun State Ministry of Environment has demolished shanties, kiosks and illegal shops mounted on the perimeter fence of Methodist High School, Arigbajo, to avert distractions and security risks to the students.

This demolition led to the clean-up of the school’s front, back and sideways after serving abatement notice to the illegal occupants. It was learnt that several efforts had been made in the past through letters to the Ewekoro Local Council and the department in charge of the environment. Letters were also written to the Commissioner of Education, backed by visits to his office, without any result.

Senior Special Adviser to the Ogun State Government on Environment, who doubles as the Chairman of Special Task Force on Environment Matters, Mr Farouk Adeniyi Akintunde, said the action was in continuation of “our clean up exercise in all public institutions to complement government’s efforts on the Safer School Initiative of the state.

“What we met on the ground was horrible, and I don’t think any government will just fold its arms and watch recalcitrant citizens do whatever they like to any public institution,” he said.

Akintunde said while carrying out the exercise, they met some resistance from the occupants, “but we thank God that with the task force on the ground, we were able to achieve our aim. We are not resting on our oars. After that, we’ll be moving to other areas. As I speak here today, many similar cases from different schools are lying on my table.

“My only appeal is that the Ministry of Education and the alumnus bodies of every school should partner to ensure that they occupy all the places where we are evacuating the illegal occupants. The best thing they can do is to green the whole environment.”

He added: “So, I am appealing to all old students’ associations to take over all these places immediately so that these people will not return. They are here as illegal tenants, and this government knows what it wants. That’s exactly what we are doing today. It has a lot of advantages. All these shanties are not healthy for even the students.

“Apart from creating distractions in their studies, it is a security risk. Kidnappers may use them to enter different schools. We’ll not allow such incidents to happen before we start looking for solutions.”

The Global/National President of the Methodist High School Old Students’ Association (MEHSOSAI), Mr Sheyic Olasunkanmi Oyegbami, said the move was a dream come true in the sense that all efforts over the years to get rid of the traders were constantly sabotaged.

He said: “It is unfortunate that those shanties were used as hideouts for criminals and also serve as shops where hard drugs and marijuana are sold to the students.

“As the only model school in this area, the defacing of the school is a slap on the people and the government. At least, for now, we expect sanity to return to the school while we do our best to return the school’s standard to what it was.”