By Karen James
Onitsha High School, located in the bustling Egeton area of Onitsha, has become a battleground for peace and order as tricycle (keke) drivers continue to operate an illegal park directly in front of the school premises, disrupting academic activities and raising concerns among parents, teachers, and local residents. Despite the Anambra State government’s efforts to provide a designated park for these drivers in Ajasa, the tricycle operators have refused to move, creating chaos and undermining the educational environment at the school.
The tricycle park, which serves as a loading and unloading zone for passengers, has become a source of constant noise, traffic, and disorder. The disruption during school hours has grown so severe that it is impacting students’ ability to concentrate on their studies, according to multiple reports from the school community.
One concerned parent, who chose to remain anonymous, told the Pechilly Investigative Media Team, “My child comes home complaining about the constant noise from the keke drivers shouting for passengers. It’s impossible for the students to focus. We send our children to school to learn, but how can they learn when the environment is so chaotic?”
Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo had previously intervened by providing a well-constructed park in Ajasa for the tricycle drivers to relocate their operations. However, the drivers have defied multiple orders to vacate the school premises, arguing that the government has no authority to enforce the relocation.
The situation took a more serious turn when Professor Ngozi Udeh, the Anambra State Commissioner for Education, issued an official notice to the tricycle operators, demanding that they evacuate the area in front of the school. Despite this formal notice, the drivers have shown blatant disregard for the directive, claiming the government “can’t do anything to them.”
This defiance has not only emboldened the drivers but also exacerbated the concerns of the school community. Residents and parents have voiced their frustrations over the negative influence the tricycle park has brought to the area. “It’s not just the noise,” one local resident said. “The area has become a hotbed for illegal activities. We’ve seen cases of theft, fights, and even drug peddling around that spot, right in front of a school.”
The tricycle park’s location poses additional risks to students, especially those crossing the congested road to enter or leave the school. Frequent traffic jams caused by the unruly parking of tricycles make the area particularly dangerous, with the potential for accidents rising each day the illegal park remains.
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Parents of the students have now taken to pleading directly with the state government to take decisive action to protect their children. “We are asking Governor Soludo to step in once again and enforce the relocation of these drivers. The safety and future of our children are at stake,” one parent stressed.
A visit to the Ajasa park revealed that the location remains underutilized despite the state’s investment in creating the space specifically for tricycle drivers. The park offers ample room for loading and unloading passengers, but it appears that the keke drivers prefer the more central location in front of the school, which they see as a prime spot for attracting passengers.
The school administration has also raised alarm over the negative impact this situation is having on the students’ academic performance. A teacher at Onitsha High School expressed concern: “How can we teach effectively when we’re constantly dealing with noise and distractions just outside the classroom? We’ve had to stop lessons multiple times due to commotion from the tricycle park.”
As of now, the government’s initial efforts to resolve the issue have been met with resistance. However, the people of Onitsha are hopeful that stricter enforcement measures will be taken to restore peace and order around the school.
The parents, teachers, and students of Onitsha High School are calling for a renewed intervention from both the state government and law enforcement agencies to relocate the illegal park and ensure that the school environment is safe and conducive for learning. The message is clear: without decisive action, the future of the students and the peace of the community remain at risk.
Governor Soludo and Commissioner Udeh are being urged to make this a priority, as the lives and education of hundreds of students hang in the balance.
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