A wave of public indignation has hit the Akwa Ibom State government following a viral report detailing the catastrophic decay of the Community Comprehensive Secondary School in Four Towns, Uyo.
Despite being located in the heart of the state capital near the Government Secretariat, the institution has become a symbol of systemic neglect in a state that has reportedly received over N2.53 trillion in revenue within the last 32 months.
The alarm was raised by human rights lawyer Barrister Inibehe Effiong, who documented a learning environment defined by cracked walls, blown-away roofs, and broken floors. The report reveals a harrowing reality where students are forced to stand during lessons due to a total lack of furniture. With no doors or windows, classrooms become unusable during rainfall, rendering the environment both unsafe and unconducive for any meaningful academic activity.
Alumnus Commissioner Under Fire
The decay is particularly pointed given that the current Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ubong Essien Umoh, is an alumnus of the school. Critics have noted the irony of the state’s education lead overseeing the collapse of his own alma mater while public funds are allegedly prioritized for luxury SUVs for politicians over basic classroom infrastructure.
“This public school is in ruins. Students are forced to stand to learn, with little or no furniture, doors, or windows,” the report stated, adding that the situation is a reflection of governance that prioritizes political loyalty over human capital development.
Demands for Immediate Intervention
There is a growing chorus calling on Governor Umo Eno to bypass political optics and direct an immediate renovation of the facility. Advocacy groups argue that as an oil-rich state benefiting from a 13% derivation formula, Akwa Ibom possesses the financial muscle to ensure children do not have to learn in leaking, dilapidated rooms. The current state of Four Towns is being viewed not just as a localized failure, but as a moral and civic obligation for the state to restore dignity to its public education system.
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