The Benue State government on Monday sealed the Benedictine Order of Peace and Unity Academy Foundation located in Nyiman, Makurdi.
This action came after the school was found to be operating in an uncompleted hotel building, lacking the necessary infrastructure and accreditation.
Terna Francis, the director general of the Bureau for Education Quality Assurance (BEQA), led the inspection team that uncovered the alarming conditions at the school.
He stated, “The school was operating in an uncompleted hotel building,” adding that it was devoid of essential educational resources such as a curriculum, lesson plans, and qualified teachers. The investigation revealed that the academy was functioning as three different schools within the same unfinished structure.
Francis emphasized that the Benedictine Order Academy had not been registered and that the government had not approved its establishment.
“So, going forward, this school no longer exists as a school. We are activating and invoking our powers to close down any school that does not meet the educational standard in the state,” he declared.
However, he also assured, “But for the purpose of these children who are already in school, we are going to allow them to stay till the close of school today.”
The director general issued a stern warning regarding the government’s commitment to ensuring quality education and student safety: “The government will not allow any substandard school to exist in the state for the safety of the children and quality education.”
BEQA has already identified a staggering 2,416 illegal schools in the state and has begun issuing notices to proprietors to either comply with required standards or face closure.
In light of the recent events, Francis urged parents to take immediate action, “Withdraw your children from the school that has neither uniforms nor records and take them to government-approved institutions of learning within the state.”
Adding to the concerns, Ternongo Mede, the general manager of the Benue Urban Development Board, remarked on the unsuitability of the building: “This uncompleted three-story building was not habitable for a learning environment.”
He reiterated that all educational facilities must pass a fitness test for their intended purpose and called for the school to be sealed.
In response, the school’s founder, Elias Torugh, expressed disappointment but also a commitment to meeting the state’s educational requirements.
“We are working hard to meet the state educational requirements for operating a school,” he stated.
Torugh explained that they had only recently moved into the building after being evicted from their previous location at the Staff Development Centre.
Acknowledging the inadequacies of their current situation, he added, “We were fully aware that the school does not have a conducive learning environment, but we planned to stay at the uncompleted hotel building for only this term.”
Torugh also highlighted the school’s affiliation, claiming they are members of the Catholic Church and that the school is owned by the Benedictine Order, which he clarified is not associated with any Catholic diocese in the country.
