Mrs Nkemakolam Okere, the Head Teacher, Dr Teslim Elias Primary School, Isale, Lagos, on Saturday urged Lagos State Government to improve security around the school for the safety of its pupils and teachers.
TBI Africa said Okere, who made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, said hoodlums had been threatening lives of pupils and teachers of the school.
” The miscreants find their way into the school compound through the fence to siphon money from members of staff.”
The head teacher said the hoodlums always found their way into the school premises through the school’s low fence.
She called on the state government to provide additional measures to secure the school pending when the school fence would be raised.
“I want the state government to come to the aid of Dr Teslim Elias Primary School to stop hoodlums in this area from disturbing us.
“They always find their way in through the low fence, demanding for money; the last time they came, they demanded for N15,000, they did not leave until we contributed N5,000 for them.
“This has been their habit for some months now.
“We want the state government to provide security officers to the school as well as to raise the fence.
“I have 446 pupils, seven non-teaching staff and seven teaching staff: Our lives are at risk, ” she said.
Okere also urged philanthropists to build a sick bay in the school for the pupils to receive first aid treatment.
“I am also using this opportunity to call on philanthropists to help us build and equip a sick bay in the school, which will enable us attend promptly to pupils’ health challenges.’’
Also fielding question with NAN, Mr Abdulwadood Bashorun, Vice Chairman, Lagos Island Local Government area, called on Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) to assist schools in the area.
He said the allocation given to the council was not enough to attend to a the problems of the schools.
“Bulk of our allocation goes to education sector. We provide our students with school uniforms, sandals, writing materials, amongst other things
“we provided for this school and about 15 others in the area despite our limited resources.”
Bashorun promised to rehabilitate the road linking the school to other areas within the local government area.
