NIGERIA — Mr. Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has called on the federal and state governments to show absolute decisiveness and willpower to rid Nigerian schools and the wider society of terrorism and kidnapping.
Obi made the remarks during a working visit to the Practicing Nursery and Primary School in his hometown of Agulu, Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State. The visit was arranged to deliver on a previous intervention promise, with the former governor presenting a check for ₦10 million to the school management as initial funding to rebuild an administrative and classroom block that was destroyed by a severe fire in December 2024.
Demanding Accountability Amid the Oriire School Attacks
While speaking to journalists at the school premises, Obi was asked for his perspective on the recent security breach in Oyo State, where heavily armed terrorists invaded three schools in the Oriire Local Government Area, abducting dozens of pupils and teachers and reportedly killing a teacher, Michael Oyedokun.
Obi responded that the persistence of such daring attacks on educational institutions reflects a lack of institutional willpower from those currently at the helm of national leadership.
“I tell you, we do not only need to secure our schools from insecurity but also the society. And how we can do this is by being decisive,” Obi said. “I have been in government before and we knew what we did to ensure safety in Anambra. It needs decisiveness and willpower of the people in government for us to defeat them.”
The NDC flagbearer argued that safe learning spaces are a non-negotiable prerequisite for national progression, stating that a country's long-term human development index is fundamentally tied to the quality and security of its basic education system.
Fulfilling Infrastructure Pledges at the Grassroots
The ₦10 million donation follows a preliminary assessment visit Obi paid to the facility late last year. During that visit, the school's headmistress, Comrade Eucharia Egwuonwu, had lamented that the community felt abandoned after the structural fire, forcing young children to receive instruction in highly unconducive, exposed environments.
[December 2024] Fire guts structural block at Practicing School, Agulu.
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[November 2025] Peter Obi visits site, assesses damage, and pledges recovery funds.
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[May 2026] Obi returns to deliver ₦10 million initial construction check.
Obi emphasized that his consistent philanthropy across primary, secondary, and tertiary health and educational networks nationwide remains completely independent of active election cycles. He noted that ensuring a conducive, structurally sound learning environment for basic education remains his primary focus, as it serves as the baseline for pulling citizens out of multi-dimensional poverty.
The management of the primary school praised the quick release of the reconstruction funds, stating that the capital injection will allow contractors to break ground immediately, ahead of the heavy mid-year rainy season.
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate donates ₦10 million for infrastructure rebuilding while addressing recent school abductions in Oyo State.
