Delta State Government has intensified efforts to improve learning conditions in public schools across the state with the production and phased distribution of new school furniture to primary and secondary schools.
The Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu, disclosed this on Friday during an inspection visit to Setal Consolidated Enterprises, the firm contracted to produce and distribute the wooden furniture.
Aniagwu said Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s administration had continued to prioritize education through sustained investments in school infrastructure, laboratories, libraries and instructional facilities across the state.
According to him, the governor first directed a comprehensive assessment of school structures across Delta State, leading to yearly interventions in classroom renovation and construction.
“My colleagues, the Honourable Commissioner in charge of Primary Education and her counterpart in charge of Secondary Education have continuously brought up the issue of improving infrastructure in our primary schools to His Excellency.
"The first thing the governor did was to direct that they carry out a comprehensive investigation of school structures, starting from the buildings, and we have continued to intervene year after year,” he said.
Aniagwu explained that the state government later expanded the intervention to include furniture, laboratories, libraries and other facilities needed to improve teaching and learning.
He noted that many existing school furniture had deteriorated over time due to wear and tear, vandalism and rising student population, making replacement necessary.
“The governor directed that new furniture should be produced for distribution across the three senatorial districts. Because quality is very important, we decided to engage a contractor that has demonstrated capacity and adherence to proper specifications,” he stated.
The commissioner said the distribution would be done in phases based on detailed needs assessment carried out by the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education.
He explained that schools would not receive equal quantities of furniture because distribution would depend on enrolment figures and existing facilities in each school.
“A school with 700 pupils may receive fewer chairs than another with 400 pupils if the first school already has reasonable furniture. The essence is to address identified gaps and not to favour any community or individual,” Aniagwu added.
He also decried what he described as politically-motivated misinformation about the condition of schools in the state, noting that some persons deliberately focus on abandoned or unused structures to misrepresent the government’s efforts even when classrooms in such schools could cater to more pupils.
According to him, the Oborevwori administration has introduced strict monitoring measures to ensure that interventions are based strictly on verified needs rather than political considerations.
He said the governor had directed ministries to stop arbitrary project nominations by public office holders, insisting that all projects must emerge from professionally verified needs assessments.
“In the past, some people would recommend projects in schools that did not require intervention simply to favour contractors. The governor has put a stop to that. Now, the ministry conducts proper assessment to determine what each school truly needs,” Aniagwu said.
He added that interventions now include classroom renovation, construction of new blocks, laboratories, toilets, administrative buildings and other essential facilities.
Aniagwu commended officials of the Ministries of Primary and Secondary Education for effectively supervising the large number of schools in the state.
He disclosed that Delta State currently has over 1,200 public primary schools and about 500 secondary schools, a situation he said posed enormous challenges in terms of infrastructure, staffing and instructional materials.
“We are not only building schools; we are also employing teachers and providing instructional materials because Delta State remains committed to quality education,” he stated.
On her part, the Commissioner for Primary Education, Mrs. Rose Ezewu, said the ministry had already conducted inventory and assessment of schools requiring furniture through its planning and research department.
She explained that furniture allocation would strictly reflect the population and actual needs of each school.
“You cannot take furniture meant for 500 pupils to a school with only 200 pupils. We are carefully taking inventory to ensure fair distribution based on actual needs,” she said.
Ezewu also faulted reports portraying some schools negatively, stressing that many of the structures being highlighted were not currently needed for academic activities.
Managing Director of Setal Consolidated Enterprises, Chief Suru Salami, assured the state government that the company was working tirelessly to meet project deadlines.
He disclosed that the company was currently producing about 3,800 units of furniture, out of which over 2,600 had already been completed.
Salami added that the company still had over 1,200 units left to produce and would commence distribution immediately government released the approved distribution list.
“We will ensure proper documentation of all deliveries, including photographs and records of the numbers and quality supplied to schools,” he assured.
The commissioners were accompanied on the visit by the Functioning Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Mrs. Patricia Iniovosa-Okakwu, Director of PRS department, Mr. Ernest Ossai, and other senior officials.
