Attacks on schools among plots to deny learners right to education - VC

The Acting Vice Chancellor, of Al-Muhibbah Open University, Abuja, Prof. Ahmed Salisu Garba, has said that the incessant attacks on learners and schools in Nigeria, particularly in the North is an agenda to deprive the children of the constitutional right to education.

Garba, while delivering a keynote address in Bauchi on Monday, at a public hearing on Safety and Security of Schools Bill 2024, organised by Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC), Syndicate in Supporting Women and Children Initiative and supported by the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF).

The University Don said that the Bill which has passed the second reading on the floor of the Bauchi State House of Assembly was commendable being the first in the country to sponsor such a bill to secure schools.

According to Garba, in recent years, the Nation has recorded an alarming increase in attacks on schools across the country, particularly in the northern regions.

“Bandits and insurgents have targeted educational institutions, not only for the ransom they can demand but also as a means to destabilise communities and disrupt the education of our youth,” he said.

“These attacks have forced countless schools to close their doors, depriving students of their right to education and leaving communities in fear.

“In the face of such threats, the safety and security of our schools have become paramount. We cannot stand by and allow our children’s education to be held hostage by violence.

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“The Bauchi State Schools’ Safety, Security, and Violence-Free Bill 2024 is a necessary and timely response to these challenges. It offers a comprehensive framework to protect our students, educators, and schools from the dangers that threaten them daily.”

Professor Kehinde Olayode of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, called on the stakeholders to support the passage and implementation of the bill.

Also, the Executive Director, Syndicate in Supporting Women and Children Initiative, Maryam Mohammed, said that the ongoing challenges in Northern Nigeria, including insecurity and violence against educational institutions, have put this right in jeopardy.

“Let us focus on identifying actionable strategies that will facilitate the successful passage and implementation of the Safe School Declaration Bill. The children of Northern Nigeria deserve the chance to learn and thrive in an environment free from fear and violence,” she said.

The public hearing was attended by officials of the police, Ministry of Education, religious organisations, student body, traditional institutions, and the media.