From Isaac Anumihe, Abuja
With increasing attacks on schools by Boko Haram terrorists, the Federal Government has disclosed that over 2,295 teachers have been killed and 19,000 others displaced in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa States between 2009 and 2018 alone, with an estimated 1,500 schools destroyed since 2014, with over 1,280 casualties among teachers and students.
Speaking during the flag-off of the National School Security and Emergency Response Centre, in Abuja, the Commandant General of
Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Dr Ahmed Abubakar Audi added that these violent attacks have negative effects on teaching and learning thereby reversing our sustainable national development efforts.
To this effect, Audi said that it has become expedient for the Federal Government to deploy extraordinary measures to tackle the spate of attacks on school facilities in Nigeria
“In view of the importance of education and human capital development towards overall national development, it has become expedient for the Federal Government to deploy extraordinary measures to tackle the spate of attacks on school facilities in Nigeria. Such effort is the commitment and endorsement by the Federal Government of Nigeria to ensure that all Nigerian schools become safe and secure for uninterrupted teaching and learning activities. Accordingly, in the consideration for a multi-sectorial working group, the NSCDC has been made the lead agency with the mandate to host the National Safe Schools Response and Coordination Centre. Following this responsibility, I immediately convened a technical committee composed of personnel of the NSCDC and consultants to develop strategies for the effective and efficient implementation of the National Plan on Safe Schools across the country” he said.
The CG also noted that the negative operations of this group against education became glaring following the abduction of 276 students of Government Girls College, Chibok
“Nigeria’s political history has been replete with various forms of violent insecurity challenges ranging from the civil war, election-related mayhem, riots and protests, militancy, insurgency and herdsmen and farmers clashes. However, the rise of the Boko Haram sect has created a new dimension to Nigeria’s insecurity problems. The main ideological objective of this violent extremist group is strangely, to target the elimination of western education in Nigeria. The negative operations of this group against education became glaring following the abduction of 276 students of Government Girls College, Chibok” the CG explained.
In his remarks, the Minister of State for Finance Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Agba said that he and the Minister of Finance Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed are committed to providing budgetary allocation to finance the federal government’s initiated safe schools programme.
“In 2022, my dear sister and the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, at the financing safe schools stakeholders’ engagement forum held at the NAF Conference Centre in Abuja committed to creating adequate budgetary allocation for financing the federal government’s initiated safe schools programme. I align myself with that commitment and the further commitment to ensuring that we will also play our part in ensuring the prompt release of budgeted funds for its implementation,” he said.