By Iruke Ubiomo, Concerned Deltan

His Excellency,
Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori
Executive Governor,
Delta State.

Your Excellency,

I wish to commend your administration for taking the bold and commendable step of revamping, renovating and reconstructing public schools across Delta State.

This is a welcome development that deserves the support and encouragement of every well-meaning Deltan. Investment in education infrastructure is an investment in the future of our children and, by extension, the future prosperity of the state.

I recall having a similar sense of optimism when Your Excellency declared your intention to expand and reconstruct the major internal express road linking Uvwie to the NPA area, with the objective of bringing it to a modern and befitting standard. The progress recorded on that project has demonstrated that your administration is prepared to translate important commitments into tangible development.

It is against this background that I respectfully appeal to Your Excellency to consider how best to protect and sustain the huge investments being made in our public schools.

Security must be part of the school reconstruction programme

Your Excellency, it would amount to a serious economic waste if government spends substantial resources renovating and reconstructing schools, only for the facilities to subsequently become vulnerable to vandalism, theft and neglect.

New classrooms, furniture, toilets, water facilities, electrical installations and other infrastructure require a deliberate system of protection and maintenance. Without such a system, facilities that are meant to serve generations of Delta children could deteriorate within a short period.

I therefore humbly recommend that the Delta State Government consider a new and more comprehensive approach to the security and maintenance of public schools.

Consider Tantita for school security and maintenance

One option worthy of serious consideration is the engagement of Tantita Security Services to provide security for public schools in the state, particularly in communities where the organisation already has an operational presence.

Tantita has demonstrated its capacity to operate across communities in Delta State through its activities in the oil-producing areas. The organisation’s existing community presence and security experience could potentially provide a useful foundation for protecting government-owned educational infrastructure.

Rather than relying exclusively on conventional school gatekeepers and guards, the state could explore a more structured security arrangement that combines surveillance, community engagement, rapid response and facility protection.

Security should go beyond locking the school gates

I also recommend that any proposed arrangement should go beyond security alone.

Where practicable, the contracted organisation could be assigned responsibility for the routine monitoring and maintenance of essential facilities such as toilets, water systems and electrical infrastructure in schools that have access to electricity.

This would help ensure that government-provided facilities remain functional and available for students and teachers.

For example, a school may have newly constructed toilets and water facilities, but if there is no system for regular maintenance, those facilities can quickly become unusable. The same applies to electrical installations and other infrastructure.

A maintenance component, therefore, should be incorporated into the state’s school infrastructure programme from the outset.

A shift from the traditional model

Your Excellency, I respectfully suggest that Delta State should review the traditional practice of relying primarily on individual gatekeepers and guards to secure public schools.

While such personnel have their place, experience has shown that relying on a single individual or a small number of gatekeepers may not provide adequate protection for substantial government investments.

A professionally structured security and maintenance system, backed by clear performance standards, supervision and accountability, could provide a more sustainable alternative.

Such an arrangement should also include appropriate monitoring mechanisms to ensure that the service provider delivers value for money and that communities are adequately involved.

Protecting the future of Delta’s children

The ongoing investment in public education infrastructure is one that should be protected at all costs.

The objective should not merely be to build new schools or renovate existing ones, but to ensure that these facilities remain functional, safe and conducive to learning for many years to come.

I therefore respectfully urge Your Excellency to consider establishing a comprehensive School Security and Maintenance Framework as part of the state’s public school reconstruction programme.

If properly designed and implemented, such a framework could protect government investments, reduce vandalism, improve the maintenance culture of public facilities and ultimately create a better learning environment for Delta’s children.

This is my humble contribution as a concerned Deltan who appreciates the efforts of the present administration and wishes to see its investments in education protected and sustained.

Yours faithfully,

Iruke Ubiomo
Concerned Deltan