By joshua 
COMMUNIQUÉ TO HIS EXCELLENCY , THE EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR OF KOGI STATE, ALHAJI AHMED USMAN ODODO, ON THE URGENT NEED FOR THE REHABILITATION OF OKENE SECONDARY SCHOOL (OSS) AND OKENE TEACHERS COLLEGE (OTC), CHECKPOINT – OKENE
We, the concerned stakeholders and citizens of Kogi Central Senatorial District, extend our warm congratulations to His Excellency, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, on your successful assumption of office as the Executive Governor of Kogi State. We commend your early strides in governance, particularly your visible commitment to improving education across the state.
Following a recent high-level stakeholder engagement held at the premises of Okene Secondary School (OSS), Checkpoint – Okene, this communiqué is issued to bring to Your Excellency’s kind attention the urgent need for the rehabilitation of two historic institutions in Kogi Central:
1. Okene Secondary School (OSS) – Established in 1944
2. Okene Teachers College (OTC) – Established in 1974
These two institutions, situated within the same vicinity at Checkpoint, Okene, stand among the earliest and most prestigious educational establishments in Kogi State. Alongside AbdulAziz Atta Memorial College (AAAMCO), they have produced exceptional scholars, professionals, and public servants who have made invaluable contributions to Nigeria’s development.
However, their current state is deeply concerning. Classrooms, staff quarters, hostels, and sports facilities are in a deplorable condition due to decades of neglect. While previous administrations made partial interventions under the free education policy, the infrastructural decay today demands urgent and comprehensive rehabilitation.
The stakeholder meeting was graced by:
Alh. Ibori – Central Chairman, Checkpoint Community
Alh. Adava – Ward Head, Checkpoint
Traditional rulers
Members of the Board of Governing Council OSS, led by Engr. Yisah Yakubu Adajah
Representatives of OSSOSA, led by Hon. Yekini Okino
The school management team
Youth and women leaders
All present were united in one resolve: to restore the lost glory of these landmark institutions.
In light of the above, we respectfully appeal to Your Excellency to:
1. Undertake an on-the-spot visit to OSS and OTC to personally assess the condition of the facilities.
2. Prioritize the rehabilitation and modernization of these institutions within the first term of your administration.
3. Establish a special intervention fund or strategic public–private partnership to restore OSS (with its 32 classrooms, 23 staff quarters, 4 hostels, and 2 football pitches) into a model school befitting its historic prestige.
Your Excellency, while we acknowledge and commend the establishment of two state universities by your predecessor—one in Kogi Central and another in Kogi West—we humbly submit that no tertiary education system can thrive without a strong foundation in primary and secondary education. A revitalized OSS and OTC will serve as a bedrock for producing the future leaders our state deserves.
This communiqué reflects a united voice of hope, trust, and expectation. We are confident that, under your leadership, these schools will once again become symbols of excellence in Kogi State’s educational landscape.
May the Almighty grant you the wisdom, courage, and strength to fulfil this noble vision and to leave behind a lasting legacy of inclusive and sustainable development.
God bless His Excellency.
God bless Kogi Central.
God bless Kogi State.
*Signed* :
Comrade AbdulLateef Obaro
Chairman, SBMC, OSS Okene
Date: 13th August, 2025