CHIBOK GIRLS: UNICEF ORGANIZES PANEL DISCUSSION FOR KANO, KATSINA AND JIGAWA STUDENTS 16-04-24
By Sadiq Aminu The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has advocated for unity of purpose by families, communities and the government to protect child education in the face of rising insecurity around schools.
The UNICEF Chief of field office Mr.Rahma Rihood Mohammed Farah made the call during the 10th anniversary Commemoration of the Chibok girls held in Kano.
Represented by the Senior education manager UNICEF Kano field office, Mr Micheal Banda, he lamented the negative impacts of incidents of abduction and kidnapping of school children regretting the rising statistics of out-of-school children due to incessant cases of abduction.
Rahma stressed the need for concerted efforts towards the fight against climate change, as part of endeavours to stop school abduction and ensure security in our schools across the country.
The chief of field office explained that the spate of insecurity will reduce drastically if Nigerian government puts more efforts in making its teeming population productive, just like China and India did.
Speaking to journalists after the event, the Commissioner for Higher, Technical and Vocational Education in Katsina state, Professor Abdulhamid Ahmed, attributed the increasing insecurity to porous borders but assured that government has taken adequate measures to ensure the safety of school children.
He said Governor Dikko Radda recruited thousands of youths across communities in the state to help fight against banditry, kidnapping and other forms of insecurity in Katsina state.
The Commissioner of Higher Education, Science and Technology of Jigawa state, Dr. Isa Yusuf also told journalists at the event that Jigawa has remained safe for school children due to efforts put in place by Governor Umar Namadi to secure lives and property in the state.
He stressed that the Safe School initiative launched by the Federal Government is also helping tremendously to ensure security of school children in the state.
Student leaders who spoke at the event, with one voice, called on the Federal Government to put more efforts towards the rescue of remaining Chibok girls, hoping that government will soon find lasting solutions to the problem of insecurity bedevilling the education of children and youths in the country.