Gele-Gele, a rural community in the Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo, has called for urgent government intervention to address the acute shortage of teachers in its two public schools.

At a news conference on Friday, Macaulay Amaokosuwei-Gboluwei, spokesperson for the community, revealed that residents had resorted to hiring and paying teachers through communal efforts due to the lack of adequate teaching staff.

“This situation is abnormal,” said Mr Amaokosuwei-Gboluwei. “Despite being an oil-producing community, we lack the most basic amenities required to function as one.”

He criticised the previous administration for failing to improve the community’s dire situation, noting that even the road leading to the area remained disrepair throughout the eight-year tenure of former Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration.

“In our senior secondary school, there are only the principal and his vice. The junior secondary school has just the principal, while the primary school faces a similar situation.

“Parents who can afford it have sent their children to Benin for better education. The rest contribute money to hire teachers for government schools,” he said.

Besides the issue of teachers, he said the schools were also plagued by inadequate infrastructure, with many students sitting on bare floors due to the lack of chairs and desks.

Mr Amaokosuwei-Gboluwei urged Governor Monday Okpebholo to prioritise the recruitment of teaching staff and address the community’s broader challenges, including poor infrastructure and the long-abandoned Gele-Gele Road project.

Speaking further, Omaghomi Olu-Derimon, chairman of the community, highlighted the neglect faced by Gele-Gele despite its status as host to one of the largest forest reserves in West Africa.

“As Ijaw people in this community, we do not have a voice in the state legislature,” he stated.

He appealed to the governor to address their marginalisation and bring sustainable solutions to their challenges.

The community leader, however, expressed hope that the new administration would reverse their plight and improve access to quality education and infrastructure for the people of Gele-Gele.

(NAN)