By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukeu, Warri
DELTA: In the heart of the creeks of Delta State, students of Enekorogha Grammar School in Burutu Local Government Area sit on bare floors to take their exams and learn in classrooms without roofs, furniture, or basic learning materials.
The school, founded in the early 1980s, has suffered years of abandonment, with no significant government intervention since its inception. Despite the dilapidated environment and appalling learning conditions, students remain determined to pursue their education—armed only with resilience and a deep hunger for knowledge.
The classrooms are barely habitable—roofing sheets are missing, floors are cracked, and the entire structure lacks windows, doors, or even blackboards. Yet, over 350 students troop into school daily. More than 80 percent of them have no desks or chairs, and instead, crouch or sit on the dusty floor to receive lessons or write their examinations.
Chairman of the community’s Education Committee, Mr. Peter Ganagana, said the school’s current infrastructure was not built by the government, but rather by an individual and the local community. “The state government has never built a single structure in this school. The only six-classroom block was erected by one of our own. The rest were put up through communal efforts,” he said.
According to Ganagana, the only furniture available in the school are 50 desks donated by an old student during a visit. “This is the sad reality we face. Our children are sitting on the floor during exams. It is pitiable,” he said.
The teacher shortage is equally disturbing. Only seven government-employed teachers—including the principal—cater to the entire student population. The community, in a desperate bid to support the school, has engaged volunteer teachers, who receive token stipends.
Ganagana revealed that the community had written several letters to the Post Primary Education Board and the Ministry of Education. Though a delegation from the government visited after one such petition, no action has followed the promises made. “They came, they saw, but nothing has changed. We’ve been abandoned,” he lamented.
Despite the rot, the students remain hopeful, and their determination is palpable. “What touches the heart of every visitor is how these children, in spite of all odds, still come to school every day eager to learn,” Ganagana said.
He called on Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to immediately intervene in the sorry state of the school. “We need urgent help. Let the governor come to our aid. We are asking for a complete overhaul—new buildings, classroom furniture, learning materials, and more teachers,” he appealed.
Attempts to reach the school principal for comment were unsuccessful, as calls to his known phone numbers went unanswered. Other teachers declined to speak, stating they were not authorised to do so.
The people of Enekorogha are now turning to the state government and other well-meaning Nigerians for help insisting that if education is truly the bedrock of development, then their children deserve more than cracked floors, broken ceilings, and forgotten promises.