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With 2027 approaching, the governor must explain why the rescue of Delta’s neglected public schools is receiving such urgency only now. Approving contracts is not the same as delivering classrooms.

The approval of ₦10 billion for the construction and furnishing of classrooms in 92 public schools across Delta State has opened a new chapter in the debate about the Oborevwori administration’s commitment to public education.

But beyond the announcement, the more troubling question is why an intervention of this magnitude is only now receiving such prominence after years of complaints about the condition of public schools.

There is also the uncomfortable timing of this latest intervention.

Governor Sheriff Oborevwori is approaching the twilight of his first four-year term, while political activities and preparations for the 2027 elections are gathering momentum.

It is therefore legitimate for Deltans to ask why this intervention is coming at this particular moment.

Would the government have demonstrated the same urgency if the disturbing images from Owa-Nta and other communities had not generated public attention? Would the ₦10 billion approval have received the same priority if the state were not approaching another election cycle?

These questions do not establish that the approval was made for electoral reasons. But neither should the government expect citizens to ignore the political context in which the announcement has been made.

The administration must understand that an approval announced during a politically sensitive period cannot, by itself, erase the record of earlier complaints or substitute for years of consistent investment and maintenance.

There is a difference between a government that plans for the welfare of its citizens and one that appears to respond to public pressure only when the consequences of inaction become politically uncomfortable.

The people of Delta should not have to wait for an election season before their children’s learning conditions become an executive priority.

Nor should the provision of basic classroom facilities be presented as an extraordinary political achievement. It is a fundamental obligation of government.

₦10 BILLION IS NOT THE END OF THE STORY

Another important issue is the scope and accountability of the newly approved expenditure.

The government says the programme will cover 92 schools and provide more than 4,500 units of furniture. But how were the 92 schools selected? What criteria determined their inclusion? What happens to the numerous other schools outside the programme that may equally require urgent attention?

Is this the beginning of a comprehensive rehabilitation programme or merely Phase One of an intervention whose subsequent phases have no publicly disclosed timetable?

The government owes Deltans a detailed breakdown of the projects, the schools involved, the contractors, the contract sums, the specifications, the commencement dates and completion deadlines.

It must also publish a transparent monitoring framework through which parents, teachers, school authorities, journalists and community representatives can verify the quality and progress of the projects.

The ₦10 billion must not become another impressive government announcement that generates political publicity without corresponding results on the ground.

There must be no room for inflated contract costs, abandoned projects, substandard construction or the familiar practice of commissioning buildings that cannot withstand the demands of everyday school activities.

The government must also explain how it intends to maintain the facilities after construction. Building classrooms without establishing a credible maintenance system would simply reproduce the cycle of deterioration that has brought the state to this point.

EDUCATION IS NOT A POLITICAL FAVOUR

Perhaps the most unfortunate aspect of this entire episode is the impression that the welfare of schoolchildren can be treated as a matter of political convenience.

Children do not vote. They cannot organise political rallies or threaten elected officials with electoral consequences. But they are entitled to the same attention, dignity and protection that government extends to every other segment of society.

Their inability to influence electoral calculations makes their welfare even more deserving of deliberate protection.

It is particularly disappointing when public officeholders appear more animated by political calculations, party loyalty and the preservation of their positions than by the everyday challenges confronting ordinary citizens.

Government exists to serve the people, not to turn public resources into instruments for securing political advantage. The responsibilities of elected officials do not begin and end with election campaigns, nor should the delivery of essential services be timed around political seasons.

Governor Oborevwori must understand that the success of his administration cannot be measured simply by the number of approvals announced, projects photographed or political endorsements secured.

The real test is whether the lives of ordinary Deltans have improved, whether children can learn in decent classrooms, whether teachers have the facilities to perform their duties and whether public expenditure has produced measurable improvements in communities.

The governor’s reported political commitment to President Bola Tinubu’s second-term ambition also makes it necessary to ask where the administration’s own development priorities stand in relation to the immediate needs of Deltans.

Political engagements and national alliances cannot substitute for the governor’s constitutional responsibility to the people of Delta State.

The state’s resources must first and foremost serve the people to whom they belong.

THE GOVERNMENT MUST NOW DELIVER, NOT JUST ANNOUNCE

We welcome the approval of ₦10 billion for the construction and furnishing of classrooms in 92 schools. But we refuse to mistake an approval for an achievement.

The administration has an opportunity to demonstrate that this intervention is more than a response to public embarrassment or the pressures of an approaching election. It must translate the approval into completed, properly equipped and functional classrooms.

The government should publish the list of the 92 schools, disclose the contract details, provide implementation timelines and establish an independent monitoring mechanism. It should also make public the comprehensive assessment of schools across the 25 local government areas and explain how schools excluded from Phase One will be attended to.

The Delta State House of Assembly must exercise its oversight responsibilities. Local government chairmen and councillors must become more active in reporting the condition of public facilities in their jurisdictions. Community leaders, parents and civil society organisations must also be encouraged to monitor implementation without being branded political adversaries.

Above all, the administration must demonstrate that the education of Delta children is a continuing public responsibility, not an election-season campaign item.

The pupils of Okwue Primary School in Owa-Nta, those who sat on bare floors at Eghreka Primary School, Ewu, and children in other neglected communities deserve an explanation for why their cries for decent learning environments had to compete with political considerations and bureaucratic indifference.

They deserve classrooms that do not turn into swimming pools whenever it rains. They deserve desks and chairs, safe buildings and teachers who can concentrate on teaching rather than improvising ways to make damaged classrooms usable.

The ₦10 billion approval may be a beginning, but it cannot erase the years of complaints that preceded it.

Governor Oborevwori must therefore understand that Deltans are not asking for a favour. They are demanding accountability for public resources and the fulfilment of a basic obligation of government.

A government that waits until the twilight of its first term to give urgent attention to the condition of its public schools must be prepared to answer questions about its priorities.

The future of Delta’s children cannot be postponed until the next election. Neither can their education be reduced to another item in the political inventory of the MORE Agenda.

The children have waited long enough. The classrooms must now be fixed, the furniture must be delivered, and those entrusted with public resources must account for every naira spent.

That is the real test of the ₦10 billion approval.