Students, teachers and management of Army Day Junior and Senior Secondary School, Ekenhuan, Benin City, have commended Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, for the comprehensive renovation and remodelling of the institution, describing the intervention as timely and life-changing.

The principals of the junior and senior schools, who spoke separately to journalists, said the school had been in a deplorable state for years before the governor’s intervention, with teaching and learning taking place under unsafe and unconducive conditions.

The Junior Secondary School Principal, Mrs Itohan Emokpai-Ogbebo, recalled that when she assumed duty on October 15, 2024, the school was in distress, with dilapidated classrooms, leaking roofs and an acute shortage of learning spaces.

According to her, many students sat on the floor and windows, while others were overcrowded in merged classrooms.

“It was a pathetic situation. I cried in my heart,” she said, adding that the transformation has restored dignity to both staff and students.

On her part, the Senior Secondary School Principal, Mrs Osakwe Joy, said that the school had suffered years of neglect marked by broken furniture, cracked walls and inadequate facilities, noting that the governor’s intervention went beyond routine renovation.

“What has been done here is more than renovation. The buildings were rebuilt and the tiles were changed,” she said, describing the project as a clear demonstration of Governor Okpebholo’s commitment to education.

Both principals said the upgraded classrooms, improved infrastructure and safer learning environment have boosted staff morale and rekindled students’ enthusiasm for learning.

Students also expressed gratitude, describing the facelift as a dream come true. The Head Girl of the Senior Secondary School, Osayande Sharon, said that the improved environment has made learning more enjoyable and motivated students to study harder.