The traditional ruler of Irete Autonomous Community in Owerri West Council Area of Imo State,HRH Eze Ethelbert Ekwelibe has described a media report accusing him and the President of ISAMATA,Hon. Emmanuel Ezeanochie of converting Primary School land to build over 50 lock-up stalls as a calculated effort of its author to smear their images.
Eze Ekwelibe stated that Irete people are currently enjoying peaceful atmosphere and not in crisis as speculated by the writer of the misleading article.
He narrated that Irete Community Primary School shares common boundary with their Afor Market which makes the area looks very busy,prompting them to however got approval from Imo State Universal Basic Education Board,IMSUBEB to build a perimeter fence demarcating the Market from School for which they were also got another approval from Owerri West LGA Educational Authority to build lock-up stalls that would cover as perimeter fence for the overriding interest of Irete Community since people have been trading in shanties there.
According to him,”it was on that note that we told a Developer,Anico Group who came from Government to develop Afor Market was asked by Irete Community after reaching Memorandum of Understanding to first consider building the School perimeter fence. We thought about tasking ourselves to carry out the project,but to God be the glory that the Developer came in and funded the project one hundred percent. Nobody touch the School playground. And Irete people did not sell shops there. Honestly, the School buildings are dilapidated,but it is the duty of Government to act. The School Headmistress,Mrs. Ngozi Nwanebo has right to agitate or demand for renovation of her School,but she should channel her grievances to the appropriate quarters. Nobody has ever reported in my Palace that agents of any company vandalize the School property. The perimeter fence is for the security of the School,pupils and teachers”.
Eze Ekwelibe further said that the agreement to build the stalls was generally accepted by the Community Stakeholders not a personal interest and pointed out that, when they conceived the plans to build a perimeter or dwarf fence at the school premises was as a result of prevalent insecurity orchestrated by the unsuccessful attack on one of the teachers by unknown gunmen.”And inview of peace and tranquility, the Community decided to build fence to protect the School and later through the State Education Management Board got approval before it was changed by the Owerri West Local Government Area Umuguma. The change in the original approval from the State Education Management Board prelude building of lock-up stalls.
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