As schools reopen for a new academic
year, there appears to be renewed concern for the safety of pupils and
staff against the backdrop of rising insecurity across the country...
Investigation shows that some state
governments and school proprietors have made efforts to ensure the
protection of their staff and pupils from attacks from kidnappers and
other criminals, especially in areas where they are prone to such
attacks.
Some proprietors, who spoke with our
correspondents in Lagos, indicated that security topped the list of
priorities for the new academic session. To ensure that no member of
staff or pupil falls victim to marauding gangs of kidnappers any longer,
they have taken steps to install Closed Circuit Television cameras
within and around the premises of their schools.
At the Mind Builders School in Ikeja,
the proprietor, Mr. Bosun Falore, told our correspondent that the
institution recently spent more on the provision of additional Closed
Circuit Television cameras for effective monitoring of movements and
activities within the premises, offices and classrooms.
He said, “We have increased the number
of CCTV cameras in the school and they are going to run for 24 hours. It
is part of our effort to ensure the maximum security of our staff and
pupils.”
Also, the Vice Principal of Dowen
College, Lekki Phase 1, Mr. Olushesi Muraina, said the management of the
school had gone further to collaborate with the Nigeria Police in terms
of providing adequate security within and around the school compound.
He said, “With regard to security, we
have put CCTV cameras in place in the school premises. In addition, a
team of policemen also patrols the premises regularly due to an
arrangement we made with the Divisional Police Officer of the local
police station. Also, some detectives mufty are monitoring activities
here every day. We have taken other measures to ensure maximum security
of the pupils and staff of the school, but we cannot expose everything
to the media.”
Following the persistent abduction of
pupils across various secondary and primary schools in the country, the
Nasarawa State Government recently decided to deploy security operatives
to public and private schools. As expected, the purpose is to prevent
further attacks by kidnappers across the 13 local government areas and
18 development areas of the state.
Announcing this, in a meeting with
journalists in Lafia, the state capital, the state Commissioner for
Education, Mr. Ahmed Aliyu-Tijani, said the government had also decided
to embark on the construction of perimeter fences around all the
secondary schools in the state with immediate effect.
He said, “Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura
is determined to ensure that all the institutions are secured with
perimeter fences. We have made our submission and he is considering it.”
Aliyu-Tijani noted that while the pilot
projects would take place in a few selected schools in different parts
of the state, the state government had decided to recruit some officials
of the Nasarawa Youth Empowerment Scheme as security operatives in
support of an initiative by the Parent-Teacher Association in the state.
He also stated that the government had
already directed all the private schools in the state to put only
qualified security personnel in charge of security in their respective
schools.
In another development, the Muslim
students Society of Nigeria urged the Lagos State Government not to wait
for another crisis to occur in public schools before providing improved
security for their pupils and teachers.
The society was obviously reacting to an
ongoing effort by the government to ensure a 24-hour surveillance of
public schools by constructing a security tower around the Lagos State
Model College, Igbonla, where six pupils were recently kidnapped for 64
days and eventually freed due to the combined intervention of Ondo,
Ogun, Lagos and Delta States.
The President of the Lagos chapter of
the MSSN, Mr. Ashafa, in a statement released ahead of the group’s
conference holding on Sunday, commended the state government for the
commencement of 24-hour surveillance in public schools.
Ashafa noted that the improved state of
security would boost the morale of parents and pupils and their attitude
towards education.
He explained that it was important for the state government to also ensure adequate supply of electricity in schools.
He said, “Education remains a key
element and yardstick for measuring the growth of any state. Neither the
teachers nor pupils can perform at their best in an environment laden
with fear and insecurity. Hopefully, with the improved security
situation, many parents will have the confidence to return their
children to school.
“However, we urge government not to wait
for another crisis to occur in any school or the education sector
before being proactive in tacking challenges. The provision of
qualitative education at all levels should be government’s top
priority.”
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