…pupils sitting on bare floors will soon be history in Delta schools, Ashibigwu assures
A disturbing video from Eghereka Primary School in Ewu, Ughelli south local government area of Delta State has ignited public outrage after revealing that schoolchildren are forced to take lessons while seated on bare floors due to lack of furniture and basic facilities.
This comes in stark contrast to the ₦32 billion the Governor Sheriff Oborevwori-led administration and the Delta State Government reportedly earmarked for education, raising serious questions about transparency, equity, and the actual impact of the state’s education spending.
In the video, voices of concerned community members were heard lamenting the condition of the pupils:
“Children are still sitting on the bare floor to learn? This is unacceptable. Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, you must act immediately.
“This is Eghereka Primary School, and from Primary One to Primary Four, pupils are without desks. It is unbelievable and shameful that in 2025 such a situation exists in Ughelli South.
“The narrative has to change. Let the people here also enjoy the benefits of the State’s wealth, especially from oil and gas.
“We are the highest oil-producing local government in Delta State and home to the biggest gas plant, yet our children are condemned to sit on the floor to learn. This cannot continue.”
In the same video, pupils, some barefoot, are seen sitting on dusty floors and damaged desks inside dilapidated classrooms, struggling to write without desks or chairs while a female student was seen sleeping at the extreme of one of the glasses.
Their learning environment paints a grim picture of neglect and inequality, especially when compared to children in better-equipped schools across other local government areas of the state.
Parents and community members have described the situation as “a shameful contradiction” in a state that prides itself on huge allocations to the education sector.
“Every year, the government announces billions for education, but our children sit on the floor. What is the essence of such budgets if schools like ours remain abandoned?” a concerned parent lamented.
Education rights advocates argue that the condition of Eghereka Primary School underscores the widening gap between budgetary claims and the lived reality of pupils in rural areas.
“The Oborevwori administration must explain how ₦32 billion is being utilized when children in Ughelli South cannot even boast of a chair to sit on,” a civil society activist queried.
Critics warn that the neglect of rural schools not only undermines the Universal Basic Education policy but also entrenches inequality, leaving children in disadvantaged areas far behind their peers.
While some LGAs in Delta State have witnessed new classroom blocks, desks, and instructional materials, the case of Eghereka Primary School suggests a disturbing pattern of selective development, with rural communities often left at the mercy of dilapidated infrastructure.
Impeccable community sources told The Story that the Council Chairman, Dr. Lucky Avweromre, had promised to provide furniture for the school after a firsthand visit following the viral video.
However, to date, no desks have been delivered to the pupils.
As the video continues to circulate online, calls are mounting for Governor Oborevwori and the State Ministry of Primary Education to urgently intervene, provide adequate furniture, and ensure that the billions allocated to education translate into tangible improvements for all children, not just a privileged few.
But in a swift response to reports that pupils of Eghereka Primary School in Ewu, Ughelli South Local Government Area, and others across the state are forced to learn while seated on bare floors, the Delta State Commissioner for Primary Education, Kingsley Ashibigwu, assured that the situation will soon be resolved.
According to him, the government is already taking steps to address the shortage of school furniture across the state.
“The truth is that in a couple of days, this will be a story of the past across Delta State. In some schools, you cannot say there is no single furniture; in fact, we have discovered that in some places, they even have excess and refuse to release them.
“In certain cases, when government tries to redeploy such furniture to schools in need, communities resist by laying siege to stop us from moving them,” Ashibigwu explained.
He emphasized that the issue is receiving urgent attention at the highest level of government.
“The governor is not resting on this, the State is not resting on this, and the ministry is not resting on this. Particularly in Ughelli North and Ughelli South, where these cases are more prevalent, the problem will soon be tackled head-on. After the next EXCO meeting, a full report will be released,” he assured.
The Commissioner further noted that while the ministry had earlier taken palliative steps to repair damaged furniture in schools, a massive rollout of new desks and chairs is currently underway.
“We are not talking about palliatives this time; this will be a lasting solution. Production is ongoing, and once completed, distribution will begin. Before the current term ends, almost all primary and secondary schools in Delta State will receive adequate furniture. When you hear the volume of what is being produced, you will realize it is a major intervention designed to end this problem once and for all,” he stated.
And this is in the same state where the governor locked a young man up for calling him out about this sort situation. The problem is that Nigerians 🇳🇬 are so patient and enduring with this sort pathetic leaders. And that’s why it will persist. Unfortunately.