The United Nations Children Funds,UNICEF in collaboration with the Federal Government launched the safe school initiative in Maiduguri in the aftermath of the Kidnapped of the over 300 girls from the Government Girls Secondary School Chibok.
The initiative was launched on 7th May,2014 during the Goodluck Ebele Jonathan Government by Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala,the then Minister of Finance now the DG of the World Trade Organization at Chibok village in Borno State,South-East Nigeria.
Almost 7 years after,what has happened to this good programme now that bandits and Boko Haram are having their moments of kidnapping students in Government public Schools in Nigeria.This has also exposed the dillapidated condition in Government Secondary Schools in Nigeria.
My heart bleeds for the traumatizing and mentally exhaustion our children are going through in the hands of these wicked kidnappers.My condolences goes to the families that have lost a child in this babaric act of kidnaping.Their only offence is being a Nigeria and striving to acquire education in this 21st century.
Government should wake up to its responsibility to protect citizens lives as enshrined in the Nigeria constitution.Nigeria is not at war or in a banana republic where there’s no law and order. Government must ensure the safety of citizens by doing everything humanly possible to guide,guard and protect our lives. Leah Shaibu,one of the adopted Chibok school girls is still in captivity of the Boko Haram till date.
President Mohammadu Buhari should invoke the provisions of the Nigeria constitution that gives him such powers and declare a state of emergency in the most affected states like Zamfara,Borno,Katsina and Niger State.
Abuja,the Federal Capital Territory is also infiltrated by the bandits as an orphanage was recently invaded at midnight and children taken away. People living in Abuja city centre and the suburbs no longer feel safe in their homes as the bandits strikes anytime at midnights. Nasarawa State which share a common boundary with Abuja is also infiltrated.
The State Governor recently cried out to President Mohammadu Buhari based on the intelligence report he received of massive movement of bandits in Motorbikes into the state asking for Federal assistance to help nip the situation in the bud.
Those aiding and abetting these criminality should be traced through collaborative efforts of the security agencies and local communities where these carnage is rife.Bank accounts of suspected sponsors should be frozen and those found culpable arrested and jail like the Dubai case.
Enough is enough#
Princess Halima Jubril.
Abuja, Nigeria.
