By Chimezie Godfrey
The Save-Public-Education-Campaign, Nigeria has welcomed with deep relief the news of the escape and return of the 8 female Students of the Government Secondary School, Awon in Kadunna State who were recently abducted by terrorists in the State.
According to the Convener of the Education Campaign, Ms. Vivian Bello, “the abduction of those innocent school girls was yet another painful blow to Education and the efforts to strengthen and improve educational outcomes in the country”, adding that “as a group, we feel deep dejection each time news of such negative occurrence is reported around students in any part of the country and with this their successful escape and return, our relief knows no bounds”.
The Save-Public-Education-Campaign
pointed out that the kidnap of Nigerian Children who innocently go to school to acquire education has become painfully widespread and is a strong contributing setback to the country’s educational goals, pointing out that a record number of over 2000 school children have been abducted in the last 24 months alone in the Country.
“These abductions put not only the parents and families of the abducted school children in trauma, but importantly, the students too and often leave a lasting negative impact in the lives of the abducted school Children.
“These incidences have also introduced a fear-factor amongst Children and young people regarding school and this further worsens the spiraling out-of-school-children phenomenon presently confronting the country.
“The Save-Education-Campaign therefore again strongly urges authorities at all levels; local, state and federal, to move Education and everything that concerns it to top priority. From adequate budgetary allocations to securing the learning environment as well as enforcing the necessary legal provisions for the protection of the Rights of the Nigerian Child, priority must be placed on these. Clearly, actions as these abductions trample on such Child’s Rights Act,” the Campaign stated.
The Campaigned added,”We further also call on security agencies to improve intelligence and safety structures around educational institutions in order to nip these acts in the bud as no Child deserves to go into captivity and in some cases hurt or death for going to school.”
