The Nigerian Army has reiterated its commitment to the protection of schools across the country.
The General Officer Commanding (GOC) 2 Division Nigeria Army, Major General Gold Chibuisi, said this during the Valedictory and Prize-Giving ceremony of Command Day Secondary School, Adekunle Fajuyi Cantonment, Odogbo, Ibadan, Oyo State.
Major General Chibuisi, who was represented by the Director of Training 2 Division, Brigadier General Umar Mu’azu, emphasised the dangers posed by the current security threats on schools and the country at large, charging parents and students to be extra-vigilant in their environment and report any unusual activities to appropriate security agencies.
“They should not rest on their oars. They should continue to support their children, to educate them. The best gift they can give to their children is education. They should monitor whatever their children are doing, the kind of friends they move with and where they go so that we will not be having criminals and criminalities in our society.”
The GOC emphasised the commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to improving security in all schools, maintaining that although the country is going through a tensed period, all citizens must contribute to ensuring the safety of all and sundry.
The Acting Commandant of the Command Day Secondary School, Major Adedeji Akindele, affirmed that security is everyone’s responsibility and charged parents to monitor the kind of friends their wards associate with in order to curb criminality in the society.
Akindele stated: “Security is everybody’s business. It is also expected that parents should monitor the activities of their children because if we are able to bridge the gap between the home and the school, I believe the children will not have the gap to explore negative social vices.”
On his part, the Senior Special Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde on Sustainable Development Goals, Kunle Yusuf, declared that the Oyo State Government is ready to partner with schools in the area of renovation, provision of infrastructure and social amenities, among others, noting that it is imperative for government to partner with stakeholders in the education sector so as to provide a conducive atmosphere for students to learn.
Yusuf asserted: “From the government perspective, the only thing we can do is to partner with the school because it’s all about the goals of the SGDs. It is about giving education to all. So if there is any challenge they are having in terms of renovation of classrooms or furniture work, the school authority should write officially to the government and we will take the proposal up.”
A cross-section of government officials, members of the school’s Old Students’ Association and parents, who spoke at the event, commended the Army for taking proper custody of the children, while they called for improved security in the school and promised to continue to monitor the activities of their wards to ensure there is no gap for the children to explore negative social vices.
PIAK
