FEATURE: Sole Public School in Osun Community Suffers Decade of Government Neglect Under Governor Adeleke
Ife Odan, an ancient town of the Ejigbo Local Government area of Osun State, is strategically placed 35 kilometres northeast of Iwo, 30 km from Ogbomoso in the north, and 24 km from Ede in the southeast. It is about 40 km northwest of Osogbo, the capital of Osun State, and about 95 km northeast of Ibadan.
This rising and densely populated town community has a single public school established in 1976. The public school named Anglican Grammar School was established at the prime of its time. But now, it tells a painful story of abandonment and government failure.
Anglican Grammar School, Ife Odan, Osun, currently lies in ruins, serving as a stark reminder of how government inaction can dismantle opportunities for young minds.
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Findings show that the school remains the only Osun government public secondary school in the town, and currently, the same school is falling apart with a lone existence in the shadow of itself. Students learn under completely decimated structures while teachers maintain a derelict staff room. No cutting-edge facilities and resources for library, information and communication technology (ICT) centres, or laboratories for science students.
For students, none can compete with their peers in other standard institutions. Their classrooms have become death traps, with cracked walls, leaking roofs, and shattered windows. Students huddle in unsafe structures, exposed to rain and heat, as they struggle to focus in an environment utterly unfit for learning. The laboratory is devoid of equipment, and the computer lab is nothing more than an empty room.
When PIJAlance visits, staff members of the school sternly decline the request to comment on the vivid sorry state of the school. “It is against the law,” a man who would later be known as the principal of the school said. “We cannot speak to the press.”
However, our findings discovered that for years, Anglican Grammar School has been neglected by successive administrations in Osun State, leaving its infrastructure to decay. Teachers work in frustration, students endure the hardship, and parents worry for their children’s safety. Education here has been reduced to survival, with little hope of the system improving.
In 2022, Honorable Bamidele Salam, a member of the House of Representatives, donated two classroom blocks to the school after years of yearning. While the effort brought temporary relief, it barely scratched the surface of the deeper infrastructural crisis. The rest of the school remains in shambles, its problems far beyond the reach of piecemeal interventions.
The situation at Anglican Grammar School reflects a broader crisis in Nigeria’s education sector, where inadequate funding and poor governance leave schools across the country in similar disrepair. But for the students of Ife Odan, this isn’t a national trend—it’s their reality. Their futures hang in the balance as they fight to learn in conditions that strip them of their dignity.
Last year, the Osun government separated N37,614,185,160 for education in its budget. By the end of the year, Anglican Grammar School was not captured as part of the need to have a share in the budget.
In November 2024, the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) fund, a Federal Government of Nigeria agency entrusted with the responsibility of providing the 36 states with counterpart funding to tackle its education crisis, highlighted that the Osun State Government still has a sum of ₦1,395,784,959 that it has not used. Despite that, UBEC has paid the state to use it to address the education crisis in the state.
Meanwhile, the Anglican Grammar School in Ife Odan was not captured again in the 2025 budget. Yet PIJAlance had earlier reported flagrant red flags in the 2025 budget of the Osun State Government, where it budgeted over ₦20bn for the government’s meals and personal expenses.
PIJAlance reached out to the Osun State Commissioner for Education, Hon. Eluwole Sunday Adedipo. Although he initially missed the call, he promptly returned it, explaining that he was attending a conference in Abuja and was unable to provide extensive comments at the time. Hon. Adedipo assured PIJAlance that a meeting could be arranged at his office upon his return. However, as of the time of filing this report, the exact date of his return remains unknown.
Worthy of note, the government’s perpetual neglect of this school has robbed its community of a vital resource. As the only government secondary school in the town, Anglican Grammar School serves as the last hope for many families.
Fixing Anglican Grammar School is not optional—it’s urgent! The Osun State Government must step up with a comprehensive rehabilitation plan, addressing every broken wall, leaking roof, and missing facility. Anything less is a disservice to the students who depend on this school for the future.
This is more than a story of infrastructure; it is a story of accountability. If this school continues to crumble, it won’t just be a failure of policy—it will be a failure of responsibility.
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Temilade Odedele
Temilade Odedele, fondly known as Shakespeare, is a multifaceted individual with a passion for storytelling, development, and knowledge sharing. As a journalist, Temilade seeks truth and informs the public. With a heart for development, he advocates for positive change. As a tutor and researcher, he imparts knowledge and explores innovative solutions. With a unique blend of creativity, curiosity, and dedication, Temilade is a force for good, inspiring others through her words, actions, and unwavering commitment to making a difference."