Rundele High School, Agba Ndele, in Emohua Local Government Area (LGA) of Rivers State, is on the brink of collapse as deteriorating infrastructure and a severe shortage of teachers have crippled learning, forcing the school to record zero enrolment in Basic One (JSS 1), according to its Old Students’ Association.
The alarm was raised by the Rundele High School Old Students’ Association (RUHSOSA) during its inaugural meeting held on Saturday at the school’s conference hall, where members lamented that over 65% of the school’s infrastructure, including classrooms and teachers’ quarters, are dilapidated and overgrown with weeds, creating an unconducive learning environment.
According to the association, the poor state of facilities has discouraged enrolment, leaving the school without any Basic One (JSS 1) students, as parents increasingly prefer private schools within and around the community.
RUHSOSA described the situation as dire, noting that the absence of basic amenities and qualified teachers has pushed the once-revered institution to the edge, despite its historical significance as the first secondary school in Rundele Kingdom and one of the most prestigious colleges in Emohua LGA and Rivers State.
The meeting, which also served as a reunion for alumni across different sets, marked the formal inauguration of a new executive council that will steer the affairs of the association for the next three years.
The newly elected officers are Dr Daniel Agbovu (President), Mrs Juliet Agbaru (Vice President), Dr Promise Chinnah (Secretary), Dr Prince Okanna Wachukwu (Assistant Secretary), Evang Princewill (Treasurer), Mr Sunday Uchendu (Financial Secretary), Mr Emmanuel Nlewedum (Publicity Secretary) and Mr Dike Awerunwo (Provost).
Speaking on behalf of the executive, RUHSOSA President, Dr Agbovu, expressed gratitude to members for the confidence reposed in them, while pledging to work with stakeholders and government agencies to reverse the decline.
“The current state of the school’s decay and infrastructure crisis is really heart wrenching. The school currently has no Basic one (JSS 1) students as parents now prefer taking their children and wards to nearby private private schools. The school is on the verge of collapse, but we will not allow that to happen.
He appealed to Governor Siminalayi Fubara to urgently visit the school and intervene through comprehensive renovation and rehabilitation of its facilities, stressing that government support was critical to securing the future of the institution.
Agbovu also called on the Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board and the Rivers State Senior Secondary School Board to ensure that Rundele High School is considered in the deployment of newly employed teachers to address the manpower gap.
Following their inauguration, the Agbovu-led executive conducted a needs assessment tour of the school alongside hundreds of alumni, including Prof Goddey Wilson, reaffirming their commitment to collaborating with all relevant stakeholders to revive the institution.
Pioneer students such as Bar Emeka Wodo, Chief Joshua Onwuzo and Superintendent of Police Richard Odukwu recalled that Rundele High School was once a source of pride for parents and the wider community, producing notable alumni who have excelled as professors, senior civil servants and professionals in Nigeria and abroad.
They expressed regret over the school’s current state of disrepair but insisted that it must not be allowed to die, applauding the 1991 set and other committed alumni for taking the lead in restoring the institution to its former glory.
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