Parents reject Kaduna government decision to relocate students of Rimi College

Parents of Rimi College students in Kaduna, on Thursday rejected the decision of Kaduna State Government to relocate students of the college to a school at Unguwan Kudu, Kabala area of Kaduna.

Their decision was taken at a meeting convened by the state Ministry of Education with the Parent Teachers Association of the college to brief them of the development.

The government had earlier relocated boarding students of Government Girls Secondary School Kawo whose hostels were razed on Sunday.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting ended in a deadlock, with the parents saying they could not afford the daily transportation fares of their children to the new school.

They also expressed concern over the safety of their children in the new school.

The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mrs Phibi Sukai-Yayi, however, assured the parents that the measure was temporary, to enable the government reconstruct the burnt hostels and upgrade of existing facilities.

Sukai-Yayi added that the decision was in the interest of all, considering that the students of GGSS Kawo are from different parts of the country while those of Rimi college are from within Kaduna metropolis.

She also said that arrangements have been concluded to ensure that the movement does not affect students’ academic activities, including public examinations conducted by the West African Examination Council and National Examination Council.

However, one of the parents, Ibrahim Saidu, said the relocation of the Rimi college students would translate to heavy financial burden on parents.

According to him, the state government had for sometimes now, stopped the admission of students into Rimi collage and the move may be a ploy to permanently stop their children from attending the school.

Another parent, Malam Muttaka Mukthar, said that the relocation would put the security of their children at risk.

He explained that there has been long standing conflict between a section of youth in Unguwan Rimi and Unguwan Kudu where their children would be relocated to, as such their children would be put at risk.