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Jubilation As Foundation Handsover Six Classrooms Block To Enugu Govt

By Agency Reporter

Jubilation rented the air at Umuolo Primary School Opi-uno in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State, when Julie Helping Hands Foundation handed over to Enugu State Government  the key of six classrooms new block built for the school.

Speaking in Nsukka on Saturday Mrs Juliet Chuka-Onyema the Founder of the foundation said the cost of building the six classrooms was over N12m as all the classrooms have floor tiles, quality doors, windows and ceilings.

"Materials used in the building are quality materials to ensure it lasts for many years.

"Whatever thing my foundation is we use the because we have our name and intergrity to protect.

" The aim of the foundation is to give hope and touch lives especially to children and women in rural area," she said.

The founder said  she was a pupil of the  primary school  many years ago.

"I shed tears when I saw that pupils in my alma mater are learning in a dilapidated classrooms with licking roof and broken walls.

"If a child  does not learn in a condusive environment, how will he/she be able to compete with counterpart in any part of the world.

"The foundation established in 2016 will continue to do its best to improve the lives of children and women in rural area,' she said.

Chuka -Onyema who is pharmacist, urged Enugu State Government to help  ensure that desks and tables were provided in the new classrooms.

"Now the foundation has built  classrooms, Enugu State Government through Enugu State Universal Education Board (ENSBEB) should help provide desks and tables for the classrooms.

"It will be unfair if government allows pupils to sit on the floor in this new classrooms to learn," she said.

She expressed appreciation to Umolo Opi-uno community especially the the Traditional Ruler, Igwe Ben Attama for their coorperation and words of encouragement.

Speaking while receiving the key of the new classrooms block, Chief Ikeji Asogwa, Chairman ENSUBEB in Enugu State commendied the foundation for assisting the government to provide condusive environment  for teaching and learning.

Asogwa urged other organisations to emulate Julie foundation since government would not do it alone.

He promised that, the board would help to provide desks and tables for the new classrooms.

"Enugu state government is grateful to the foundation for complementing government efforts to ensure condusive environment for teaching and learning' he said.

In a remark, Attama on behalf of the community expressed appreciation to the foundation  for building classrooms in their primary school and prayed God to reward the foundation abundantly.

"Chuka-Onyema is our beloved daughter, we are happy she used her foundation to  put smiles  on our faces by building classrooms for our children," he said.

The traditional however, expressed disappointment that Umolo Primary School had not benefited much from Enugu State Government as the community had been doing everything for the school.

"Government has been building classroom blocks for many communities in the state but our community has not benefited, even one.

"The community has written many letters to government to this effect as  well as begging for posting of more teachers  to the school but all to no avail.

"Presently teachers we have in this primary school are not up to five in number,"he said.

Earlier, Mrs Theresa Ugwuanyi the Headmistress of the school  thanked the foundation for the new classrooms block.

Ugwuanyi said that the new six classrooms would be a big relief to pupils and teachers of the school.

"We beg government and  lovers of education to help us provide desks and tables in them, so that our joy will be complete,"she said.

Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview Chikamso Onah, a primary five pupil and Sunday Ugwuoti a primary six pupil prayed God to bless Julie foundation.

They urged Enugu State Government to help provide desks and tables for the new classrooms.

"God will bless the foundation abundantly for providing condusive environment for us to learn," Onah said.

"Now the foundation has helped to build classrooms for us , government should help provide desks and tables," Ugwuoti said.

NAN reports that highlights of the occasion were welcome song, drama and recitations by pupils of the school to show their appreciation.
(NAN)