9 kids killed while trekking to school

Youths and infants of Ewet Offot community Uyo, Akwa Ibom State have turned to the State government asking them to establish a primary school for them to avoid further deaths of kids who have to trek long distances just to attend schools in other communities.

According to the information provided by them, by this moment nine small children have been hit by vehicles while the kids were going long distances in order to attend primary schools, because Ewet Offot remains the only community in the Uyo Capital City without a government own primary school.

In an open letter to Gov. Godswill Akpabio titled “Please Give Ewet Offot a Primary School”, signed by Messrs. Aniefiok Ebong and Alexander Edet, president and secretary general respectively, the youths claimed that despite the free and compulsory education policy accepted in this government, it was unfortunate that most communities in the state had to trek for kilometers before they could access schools.

According to the statement, since the land was acquired by the state government in the 70s for the purpose of establishing Ewet Housing Estate they have been trying to draw the attention of the state government to the sad fact: although Ewet Offot is the pioneer and the biggest land donor for development in the State, it still remains one of very few villages in Akwa Ibom State without a government primary school.

Here is an extract from the statement:

“Our children, some as young as three years, travel several kilometeres to attend primary schools in other communities like Anua, Eniong, Christ the King Primary School, Wellington Bassey Way, etc.

Because the place that had been earmarked for a primary school was then taken over for the construction of a makeshift timber market. In recent days, we have lost about nine young children who were knocked down by vehicles while walking long distances to attend primary schools,” the group said.

They urged the governor to include their community into the free and compulsory education program of the state government by means of establishing a primary school, promising to provide a land free of charge for the project.


Naij