The hostel block of Chude Girls Model Secondary School, Sapele, Delta State, has been destroyed by a midnight fire.
Though no life was lost in the incident, PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the students lost their belongings to the incident which happened vey late on Friday.
The Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education in the state, Chiedu Ebie, confirmed the incident.
He said 95 students were in the hostel when the fire incident happened, adding that “two classrooms have been converted to hostels in the interim.”
The state governor, Ifeanyi Okowa on Sunday paid a visit to the school to commiserate with the students.
He promised to rebuild the hostel and upgrade other facilities in the school which he noted were in deplorable condition.
Mr. Okowa while thanking God that no life was lost in the inferno assured staff and students of the school that his administration has taken steps to ameliorate the effect of the fire on them.
“I sympathise with the young ones who lost their belongings in the fire, we will try to replace what you have lost,” he said, adding, “this fire incident may be a blessing in disguise as I have inspected facilities here, I can assure you that this school will not be like this by next year.”
“We will carry out construction work in the school systematically, so as not to affect academic work”, he added.
The governor said facilities at public secondary schools must be upgraded to meet current trend in the education sector.
According to the governor, public institutions should have facilities that will make learning environment to be in tune with modern trend.
He said that with what he saw at the model school, there was the need for emergency situation to be declared in the education sector.
The principal of the school, A. O. Omniabors, thanked Governor Okowa for his timely intervention, stating that philanthropists have come to the aid of the students since Friday night when the fire incident happened.
