The Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has assured the old students of the state’s premier secondary school, Edo College Benin City, that their alma-mater will be re-built.
Obaseki gave the assurance on Monday when members of Edo College Old Boys Association (ECOBA) led by their president worldwide, Dr. Reuben Osahon, paid him a courtesy visit at Government House, Benin City, the Edo State capital.
He assured that his administration would play its part as proprietor of the school, by reviewing its masterplan to determine the infrastructural requirement of the school.
The governor acknowledged the impact the school has made on the lives of Edo people and hailed various stakeholders that have contributed to its growth, as it celebrates 80 years of existence.
To address the challenges facing the school, he said that officials of the state ministries of education, physical planning and urban development, would work with other stakeholders to review the design and master plan of the school and refresh it.
On the encroachment on the college land, Obaseki said the survey plan of the school need to be re-established as encroachers will have themselves to blame as all the school’s land will be re-claimed.
“Government paid compensation on that land when it was acquired years ago, no community or individual has the right to violate government interest in that land. We are going to re-claim the land belonging to Edo College and it will be fenced,” he stressed.
He urged the old students to assist the government in the area of human resources and curriculum development for the school.
Earlier, ECOBA president worldwide, Dr. Reuben Osahon, commended the governor for his achievements in less than a year, his leadership style and creativity in dealing with different problems confronting the state.
He informed the governor that their visit was to intimate him of plans to celebrate 80 years of the school’s existence, saying: “The College is the product of the vision of Oba Eweka II, although it was followed up by Oba Akenzua II during whose reign it was established on 1st of February 1937.
