As schools in Abuja resume for the 2022/2023 academic session, parents and guardians have been assured of the safety of their children as the FCT Administration has promised to beef up security around schools in the territory.
The Mandate Secretary of the FCT Education Secretariat, Dahir El-Katazu, made the commitment while on tour of schools to assess the level of compliance to the resumption.
El-Katazu assured that the FCTA will ensure adequate security arrangements are put in place including the doubling of the number of security personnel in schools.
He said, “For a very long time now the minister of the FCT Malam Muhammed Bello had made sure that security arrangements are adequately put in place, not only in schools but the whole FCT generally.
“We are likely to have additional security majors taken in our schools, where we have to double the number of security men that are supposed to be in the schools and also double their pay, we will do that.
“The security situation in our schools is much better, in fact, our pupils and students are very safe to come back to school. I urge all parents and guardians to allow their kids to come back to school, and also give the school management all the cooperation required in order to educate their kids.” He stated.
On his part, the Board Secretary of the FCT Universal Basic Education Board, Suleman Alhassan, urged school authorities to be security conscious.
“We want to invite the Principals, head teachers and even the Parents Teachers Association, that they should be eagle eyed around the community especially schools that are in the rural areas, and advised them that footpaths across school environments should be avoided completely, we also encourage them to have contacts of police men, security agencies in case any suspicious movement.
“Education at the basic level is free and compulsory and our department of social mobilization has gone wide to inform parents that education is a right and not a privilege, consequently we want every parent to ensure that every child is allowed to come to school, because it is only through education that children’s future can be guaranteed.”
The acting Director, FCA Quality Control Assurance Mrs Magdalene Uzoanya, who expressed satisfaction with the level of compliance, said the schools report over 80percent resumption.
“To a reasonable extent I’m impressed, because the environment most of the schools, the environment is is neat, the grasses have been cleared, the classrooms swept, everywhere is neat and the learners are even in attendance, the teachers are on ground not just the learners, even the teachers have resumed.” She stated.