Insecurity: FG Moves To Protect Bauchi Schools From Attacks

BY ADEYEMI AKANJI, BAUCHI – As part of its determination to secure students and provided a serene teaching and learning environment, the Federal Government has put in place measures aimed at protecting some targeted schools in Bauchi state from security threats.

Permanent Secretary of the Bauchi State Ministry of Education, Dr Sule Madara, who announced this at a press Conference, said that the security measures are being put in place and coordinated by the Federal Minitries of Defence and Finance.

Madara said that a federal government team had already visited Governor Bala Mohammed and intimated of the selection of Bauchi state as one of the pilot states to benefit from the intervention.

He explained that the intervention which is tagged; ‘Financing Safe Schools Initiative’, will witness the State Government providing 48 Schools that are prone to security threats across the state.

Madara also said that the intervention by the federal government would be dedicated to the provision of security in Schools that are in the vulnerable areas to combat security issues in schools.

He further said; “They requested for 48 Schools to start with in Bauchi state which includes five Primary Schools each from the three Senatorial Districts, five Junior Secondary Schools and five Senior Secondary Schools.

“They also selected one tertiary institution from each of the three Senatorial Districts of the State and when you put all the figures together, they will give you 48 Schools that they are coming to intervene in, in the provision of security as security resilience of the communities.

“We expect that they are coming to assist in the development of security infrastructures. The building capacity of the host communities in case of eventualities,” he explained.

Madara also said the team of assessors would soon commence the assessment of all the schools selected for the intervention, adding that the criteria used in selecting the schools included those Schools that had been attacked in the past or those that are perceived to be attacked as well as Schools that do not have perimeter fencing and those outside major towns across the state.