The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education, Professor Julius Ihonvbere, has urged the Gombe State Government to increase security in the various schools.
Professor Ihonvbere, who made the call during an oversight function and a courtesy visit to Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, that there was a need for the personnel to help beef security around basic education centres within and around the state.
He commended the efforts of the government in ensuring perimeter fencing across the various schools.
“We have been to so many states without perimeter fencing, no play ground, no water, no toilet, class dilapidated and students sitting on the floor in 2021. A few other states will copy your example, it shows your commitment to building the capacity of teachers no matter what,” Prof. Ihonvbere said.
He noted that perimeter fencing was more expensive than the main building, which was the reason most governors preferred not to use that, but that it was the first line of defence for the children.
According to Prof. Ihonvbere, the government should liaise with the Legionnaires, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence, or any other special arrangements, so as to prevent miscreants from gaining entrance into the schools.
For Governor Yahaya, Gombe was in the centre of the North East and with the long-standing relations between the remaining five states, couple with the Boko Haram Insurgency, the challenges of the state was further compounded because of the influx of displaced persons into the state due to the relative peace being enjoyed in the state.
“The declaration of state of emergency has helped us to use whatever means possible to see that the narrative changes. I’m happy that you have acknowledged that. We will do more than what you saw, not just education but high quality education that can compete elsewhere in the world,” Governor Yahaya said.
The Deputy Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Education, Mrs Aishatu Jibrin Dukku, said the committee had noticed an increase in the enrollment of girl child within the Girls Secondary Doma
“Many across the 19 northern states are learning as part of the exchange programme and we saw the girls are happy and well-fed. The governor is obviously, committed to basic education by declaring a state of emergency,” said Mrs Jibrin-Dukku
Also commenting on the need for increased security in the schools in the state, the Chairman of the Gombe State State Universal Basic Education, Mr Babaji Babadidi, corroborated Prof. Ihonvbere’s words, by saying that hunters were needed as sporadic security at the gate because the state had equally witnessed the theft of educational and non-educational materials within the schools, as well as the vandalization of state government property particularly furniture.
Mr Babadidi said the agency had made a request to the governor, which was now justified because of the need for tight security around schools.
PIAK
