•Back shutdown of schools in vulnerable states
THE Chairperson of the Northern Governors’ Wives Forum, Hajiya Hadiza El-rufai, on Saturday, explained why the forum backed the closure of schools in some states in the region
Mrs. El-rufai, who spoke with select journalists in Abuja, said the shutdown of the school was in the best interest of stakeholders, especially the children.
She said, “Kidnapping of schoolchildren is a source of concern for all of us, especially in a country where we already have millions of out-of-school children.
“A short-term solution to the problem of kidnapping of school children is what some State Governments are already doing. That is, closing all the schools.
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“Though it cannot be sustained because we must get our children to school. However, it is very important to keep our children safe as a priority. It makes no sense to put our children at risk because we want to get them educated.”
She, however, said that the Federal Government and the security agencies needed to intensify the pressure on bandits with a view to ending the insecurity in the region for good, saying that the country cannot allow the situation to continue festering.
Mrs El-rufai added: “I believe that the government is doing all it can to see that bandits are defeated once and for all.
“We must deal with the bandits because a e cannot continue like this. Something has to change, and I believe that President Muhammadu Buhari and all those who are supposed to tackle the menace of insecurity are trying to do so.
“Our children need to go to school without feeling like they are in danger. But whenever we feel our children are at risk, it’s best we close down the schools in the short-term.”
Also speaking, the Vice-Chairperson of the Northern Governors’ wives Forum, Mrs Folake AbdulRazaq, said that while some States have directed the closure of schools in the North, distance learning programme through radio and television media were ongoing.
She explained that the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way governments around the world approach education, saying that remote learning was being mainstreamed not only as a means to bridge the gaps created by the lockdown but also a maneuver against the dangers posed by insecurity.
