The Edo State Government has directed the retirement of the Permanent Secretaries of the Ministry of Education and the Post-Primary Education Board as well as the two principals of Idogbo Secondary School.
The directive follows the student rampage at the school premises on December 3, 2021.
The decision was reached during an Executive Council meeting chaired by the Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki, at the Government House, Benin City, on Wednesday.
In a statement after the meeting, Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Andrew Emwanta, said the executives reached the decision after it considered the report of a committee empanelled by the council and chaired by the Deputy Governor to investigate the remote and immediate cause of the fracas and make recommendations to the government.
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“Following the students’ rampage at Idogbo Secondary School on December 3rd, 2021, which led to attacks on the school principals and teachers as well as destruction of the school’s property, the Executive Council (EXCO) empanelled a committee headed by the Deputy Governor to investigate the remote and immediate causes of the unrest at the school and make recommendations to government.
“The Committee’s interventions covered academics, policy, accountability, personnel, co-curricular activities, students’ support, and community engagement,” Emwanta said.
He added that following the findings and recommendations of the committee’s report, the executives approved that the Permanent Secretaries of the Ministry of Education and that of Edo State Post Primary Education Board be retired from service.
Also affected by this decision are the Principals of the Junior and Senior Schools of Idogbo Secondary School.
“The executives also approved the rehabilitation of the school, which is now to operate as a Junior Secondary School,” Emwanta said.
He added that the council directed that Idogbo Secondary School reopen on February 1, 2022, and that all students are to go through re-admission and pay a levy before they will be readmitted, to repair the damage wrought on the school.
The Commissioner further stated: “All secondary schools’ heads in the state are informed not to admit any students effectively immediately if they cannot produce a transfer certificate from the Ministry or its branch offices in the LGAs.
“The EXCO also directed the decongestion of schools to enforce less than 50 students to a class. All Principals are warned to desist from the usual practice of admitting students without recourse to the existing admissions policy.
“In line with the Universal Basic Education Act of 2004 that stipulates basic education as the first nine years of schooling plus one year of early childhood education, Edo State Government will now embark on disarticulation of the junior from senior schools.”
