Sokoto State governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has, in the wake of the recent wave of kidnappings in some states of the North, fingered a coalition of Boko Haram and bandits as the groups responsible indicating that their real purpose is to cause hiatus in the smooth acquisition of education by students.
Governor Tambuwal said this is the reason why the government shut boarding schools across the state and transferred the students to other schools in order to ensure that they continue with their studies.
He said the government will take all measures like adopting the morning and afternoon shifts system, virtual learning, and other ways of teaching the children in their domain in furtherance of its objectives
According to the governor, who met with the principal of all secondary schools in the state at the auditorium of Sultan Muhammad Maccido Institute of Qur’an and General Studies, Sokoto, the state government will work closely with all stakeholders to ensure that this avowed intentions of the groups don’t affect the pursuit and acquisition of education in the state.
”Learning is not going to be disrupted,” the governor affirmed while appealing to every citizen of the state to continue “to collaborate with the security agencies by way of providing useful information on the activities of the bandits and their informants.”
He said the decision by the state government to close all boarding schools in the state except those within the state capital was a proactive measure to forestall any possible attack or kidnapping of students by the bandits considering what recently happened in Niger and Zamfara states.
He reiterated that the objective of the criminal groups is clearly demonstrated in their aim to stop Western education in the country saying that his administration will not allow them to succeed.
”We must come up with ideas on how our children will continue to go to school and benefit and prepare them for their future,,” he appealed. He assured that efforts would be made to checkmate the activities of bandits and Boko Haram in Sokoto state and Nigeria as a whole.
The governor commended principals and teachers in the state for their sacrifice, dedication, and commitment towards ensuring that children have qualitative education, stating that the government is doing its best in providing teaching and learning materials in all the schools.
Tambuwal also added that state government will introduce special allowances to teachers in hard-to-reach areas as the government did to health workers on the COVID-19 pandemic.
Urging the principals and teachers to redouble their efforts in the discharge of their duties, Gov. Tambuwal also directed the state’s Teachers Service Board to post the newly recruited teachers to the various schools.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Alhaji Muhammadu Bello Abubakar applauded Gov. Tambuwal for approving hardline allowances to all affected teachers up to the time the situation of insecurity improves.
He further announced that the governor has also directed the ministry to immediately work out modalities for e-learning to further supplement the teaching and learning activities of the students while the current situation prevails.