NUT urges FG to provide adequate security in schools

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March 23, 2018 4:32 PM

Dr Mike Ike-Ene, Secretary-General of the union, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja, while reacting to the recent release of some abducted Dapchi girls.

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has called on the Federal Government to provide adequate security to boarding-schools, especially those in the North-East or run them as day schools.

According to him, it is necessary for the government to put the right security measures in place and not to wait until something happens; the life of any Nigerian child is not worth losing carelessly.

He said that the incidence was a lesson to everyone, urging the government to strengthen the security apparatus of the country to prevent future occurrence.

“I am saying that government should look at our security apparatus; if they cannot ensure 24 hours service of security in our schools in the North-east let them stop boarding schools.

“Children can come to school from their homes and the moment the students are in the school premises security should be provided until the school closes.

“The security agencies should also be placed in all the entrance by which people can use to enter the host communities or escape.

“There must be a proper structure provided for a particular security agency at the security posts.

“Also, having a particular security agency to be in charge of a particular security post in various schools will help to detect when things are going wrong.

“The effort will help to reduce the number of victims if there is emergency situation,’’ he said.

Ike-Ene noted that in the North-east there was always gap for the girl-child education, saying that this incidence of abduction in schools could put more fear and terror in their lives.

His said: “even the parents too may now be unwilling to allow their children, especially the female to go to school due to the fear of the unknown.’’

Ike-Ene, however, commended the Federal Government for being proactive in securing the release of the abducted girls from Government Girls Science Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State.

He also appealed to the government to use same approach to ensure the release of the remaining girls as well as the other chibok girls.

“We are still anxious to see the remaining girls, because they are our students; we still want them back. We want to praise this government and we are asking them to do more.’’

NAN recalled that on February 19, some school girls were abducted by insurgent groups in Government Girls Science Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State.

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