The parents of St. Margaret Education School, a mixed private institution in Ikorodu, Lagos, have appealed to the Lagos State Government for redress over the sealing and demolition of the school’s facility by officials of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LSBCA).
They made the appeal while addressing journalists on the matter last week, stating that the school was not served any demand or contravention notice, before the officials invaded the school and chased the students and staff out on the 27th of March, while second term examination was on.
The Coordinator of the school, Mr. Lawani Dominion Abiola, appealed to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to use his good offices to save the school in the overall public interest of service the school is rendering to people.
He said the school was never served any notice whatsoever before the attack on the innocent pupils who were in their various classrooms writing the end of term examinations.
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The proprietor, Olusegun Alonge, said the school has been in existence for more than 40 years and that the buildings were approved by the Lagos State Government.
Some of the parents explained that the children were yet to get over the psychological trauma of the incident as they were forcefully chased out of the school premises by government officials.
They equally appealed for the release of the staff of the school who have been in detention since then.
One of the parents, Mr Obamude Omoniyi, who witnessed the attack on the school said: “These are not new buildings. These buildings have been there for years. Whatever laws that we contravened the agency ought to have invited the school management to Alausa and if they refused to come first, second and third time, then you can take the laws into your hands.”
He wondered which laws of the state provided that government officials come armed in the presence of children who are in various classes, creche, nursery, primary and secondary. He said innocent teachers and security guards of the school have been detained since the incident, and appealed to the state governor to direct their immediate release.
When contacted, the Deputy Director Public Affairs of the agency, Mr. Olusegun Olaoye, confirmed the development and said, men of the agency had to resort to using minimum force on the school when the school authority was making it difficult to serve them a demand notice.
He said the agency’s men had gone to the school three times in the past to serve them the demand notice but were resisted by staff of the school and the fourth time, the men had to use minimum force to achieve their official mandate.
