Why can’t we have a school in Okene Local Government Area with the standard and quality of institutions such as NTIC, Barewa College Zaria, or King’s College Lagos—especially if we cannot secure a Federal Government secondary school in Ebiraland?
We strongly believe the Kogi State Government can convert one of our historic, older schools into a modern secondary school that meets today’s educational standards.
It is worrisome that today, Okene has no higher institution, unlike in Adavi and Okehi LGAs where we have CUSTECH, School of Engineering, FCE, Salem University, and the School of Nursing and Midwifery. Establishing a standard boarding and day secondary school in Okene would therefore be a welcome and highly beneficial development.
During the GYB administration, the Federal College of Science and Technology was controversially relocated to Kogi East, the home of then-Deputy Governor Chief Edward Onoja, allegedly due to the influence of his sister, who was the Commissioner for Education at the time—despite the presence of an existing Federal Government school in that area.
We call on His Excellency, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, to urgently address this need. Since we have been unable to secure a Federal Government school in Ebiraland, and since the GYB administration did not construct one—except for the ongoing, yet uncompleted project at Ebira Community Secondary School, Ogaminana—we urge Governor Ododo to build such a school in Okene Local Government Area.
We envision an ultra-modern secondary school equipped with cutting-edge learning facilities, serving as a Kogi Unity School—where all citizens of the state, whether Igala, Ebira, Okun, Bassa, or Ibaji, can learn together and build the future of our dear state. Currently, the only such schools in Kogi are FGC Kabba and the newly established Federal Government Science and Technical College, Ogugu.
– Engr. Ubaidullah Chatta
DG, Ododo School to School, Kogi State
