Education:Babaeko solicit funds for the reposition of deplorable state of St. Barnabas Secondary School, Kabba.

SBSS Kabba: Before the Glory Departs!
By Oluwaloseyi Babaeko

The Late Obafemi Awolowo, averred in his famous 1968 People's Republic book that "Any system of education which does not help a man to have a healthy and sound body and alert brain, and balanced and disciplined instinctive, is both misconceived and dangerous "

The decaying State of St. Barnabas Secondary School, SBSS Kabba is not only dangerous but heartbreaking.  Especially if one is to look at the glorious past of this great school and the caliber of people it has produced locally and globally.

It is however very painful, sad and troubling to see that this school which had a Whiteman as the first principal is in this sorry state. Even though Kabba was a province under the British Colony, it is still in Kogi state, not in war torn places such as Syria nor Borno to warrant such level of decay. The present state is not acceptable because it is totally against the ethos, vision and dreams of our founding fathers, whether living or dead.

I am sure that this is not the SBSS Kabba which a personality like Mr. J.K Obaromi, neither is it that of Pa. Otitoju, Or Mr. Ilugbuhi nor the SBSS energetic Ven. Adegboye and a host of other principals who gave their all to see generational leaders transformed.

In saner climes, the school should have been closed and considered unfit for learning out of safety concerns. To call a spade a spade and not an agricultural instrument, today, SBSS is not conducive for learning.  There is an urgent need for our collective responsibility to rebuild it before the glory departs before our very eyes.

My few minutes on the ground assessment of the school and interaction with the school principal Mr. Teidi Joseph, revealed that none of the Science Laboratories are in good shape as they all need an urgent attention to prepare students for examination and a glorious future that only a qualitative education can deliver.

Among some of the laboratories that requires  urgent attention includes Biological Lab which has only one malfunctioning microscope; no basic reagents, be it red ink EOSIN, no prepared slides for Amoeba, Spyrogyra, Tad Pole, Hydia Basic for WAEC.

There are no dissecting kits, litmust paper nor formalin, solution and fehling solution A & B.

Further checks in the Chemistry Lab reveled an eyesore that portends a bleak future for an average science student of the school.

How can one explain the pathetic situation of a Chemistry lab without an Iodine crystal, methylated spirit, hydrocrolic acid, methyl orange, test tube, busing burner, cylinder of any size, beakers of various Sizes conical flask and burette?

Similarly, the basic practical instruments for Agric/Animal husbandry such as measuring tape, budding knife, range pole, secateurs, shear, scope net, hook and are not available

The situation remains the same with the Physics Lab as there is no stop watch, meter rule, retord stand, ammeter, lense, Concave and Convex, pendulum Box, Thermometer - wet and Dry minimum and maximum clinical, pin - hole camera, Spring balance.

I am writing to all the old students, home and abroad with all sense of humility infused with a very high modicum of respect to stand up as a matter of urgency to support their alma mater with the needed materials to restore the Glory of SBSS that is about to depart.

 The ongoing constructions of a block of class room powered by Hon. Teejay Usuf, The House of Representatives member representing the good people of Kabba/Bunu Ijumu Constituency, is quite commendable. Nevertheless, I wish to appeal to all and sundry and the contributions of that of our brothers and sisters in ensuring that the basic materials needed to improve both mental and physical activity are provided to encourage learning and thereby boost productivity.  All materials donation can be delivered to the St. Barnabas Secondary School Principal’s office while all donations can be paid into the school’s account details below.

 Account Name: SBSS Kabba
Account number: 2010365564.
Bank: First Bank.

For the sake of accountability and transparency, the details of donations can be forwarded to sbssprojectkabba@yahoo.com.

Collectively we can save the future of this great citadel of learning.

Long live SBSS Kabba!
Long live the Confluence State!!
Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!!!