Civil servants blame FG for Yauri massive kidnap

Wants security architecture rejigged
The Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN) has blamed the Federal Government for the abduction of 104 students and teachers of Federal Government College, Birnin Yauri, Kebbi State, last Thursday.

In a statement, yesterday, by the acting National President, Dr. Tommy Okon, and Secretary-General, Alade Lawal, ASCSN called for necessary measures to ensure the release of the victims without causing further anguish to their parents and guardians as well as the students themselves.

The association stated that the kidnap was further proof that the security architecture in the country was far from efficient, urging the Federal Government to urgently rejig it and ensure synergy among security agencies.

It lamented that innocent pupils were being subjected to harrowing trauma by the terrorists, stating that if nothing was done to check the trend, sooner or later, children of school age in most communities in the country would be discouraged to pursue their educational careers.

According to ASCSN, children will not be able to compete with their counterparts from other parts of the globe, as the kidnap of pupils will devastate the psyche of their parents, most of whom are workers, with the attendant negative impact on productivity which will affect the nation’s economy.

“This will be most unfortunate and underscores the urgent need for drastic measures to be taken by the various tiers of government in the country to secure the school system,” the union stressed.

Since President Muhammadu Buhari recently told state governments and traditional rulers to secure their domains, instead of waiting for the Federal Government, the state governments must take up the challenge to strengthen vigilante groups in their states and provide them with necessary tools to confront terrorists and bandits, it added.

“If the security situation in the country does not improve, foreign investors will continue to avoid coming to Nigeria for business and so unemployment and poverty will continue to rise.

“The acclaimed giant of Africa can certainly not continue to wobble like this, and so government at all levels must take decisive steps to address the collapsing security system to restore the confidence of the citizens in the country,” the union said.