Niger to open 11 schools shut over insecurity

.Group flays renewed attacks in Mangu, applauds OPSH

Niger State government has concluded plans to reopen 11 schools shut down due to insecurity.

Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Dr. Hadiza Mohammed, disclosed this during a meeting with leadership of the state chapter of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), All Nigerian Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), Quality Assurance Directors and top management staff of the ministry.

Dr. Mohammed, while informing the stakeholders of the state’s readiness to reopen the 11 schools ahead of schools’ resumption, enjoined them to key into the plans.

She added that as part of the preparation, online data capturing of all teachers would commence soon.

The commissioner disclosed further that indexing of students would be initiated right from Early Childhood Care, Development and Education (ECCDE) class to Senior Secondary (SS) class, adding that ECCDE has been made compulsory, as no child would be admitted into primary class without it.

The ministry, she noted, has concluded an arrangement to establish Quality Assurance Offices in the state’s 25 local councils and provide adequate teaching and learning materials in all schools to enhance learning, as indiscipline either by the students or teachers will not be tolerated.

According to her, there will be sanctions for principals, who indulge in the collection of unnecessary fees from students, emphasising on free education in the state.

Mohammed revealed that the ministry was looking at ways of improving feeding of boarders and that plans were underway to organise teachers’ summit in the state in December.

She said measures such as bringing back school clubs and societies, as well as engagement of stakeholders like School Based Management Committee (SBMC) Parent/Teacher’s Associations (PTA) in the management of schools would be pursued as a priority.

In their separate remarks, the Chairman of NUT, Akayago Mohammed, and that of ANCOPSS described the meeting as a morale booster, even as they called for more monitoring and improved welfare.

Meanwhile, a group of peace-building and humanitarian organisations in Plateau State and parts of the country has bemoaned the recent attack in Mangu Local Council of Plateau State, which claimed no fewer than 10 lives.

Gunmen, on Sunday, killed 10 persons in an attack in Kulben, a community in Kombum District of Mangu. The armed men reportedly attacked the community around 10 p.m. when the victims, mostly vigilantes, were patrolling the area.

The Guardian gathered that the prompt intervention of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) stopped further killings and reprisals.

The sad development took residents by surprise, given that OPSH had since restored peace in the state.

Reacting to the latest attack in Mangu, the Conference of Plateau State Peace Builders Network and Global Peace and Life Rescue Initiative (GOPRI) expressed sadness that unscrupulous elements wanted to set the state on fire again, despite the progress made so far by OPSH in restoring peace on the Plateau.

In a statement, yesterday, signed by Executive Director of GOPRI, Melvin Ejeh, and National Coordinator of COPPBN, Dr. Dung Bot, described the action of the attackers as heinous and barbaric, devoid of human reasoning.