By Gabriel Ewepu, ABUJA
A Civil Society Organisation, CSO, Save the Children International, SCI, Thursday, begged President Bola Tinubu to release the remaining over 90 kidnapped Chibok school girls and others.
The call was made during by the Country Director, Save the Children Nigeria, Famari Barro, during the launch of ‘The Attack of Education in Nigeria’ report.
Barro lamented that almost 10 years after Boko Haram struck and abducted the Chibok school girls that drew the attention of the international community over 90 of them are still in their abductors’ den.
He further expressed pain over unaccounted countless children and teachers who currently live with threat and violence, which most of them have fled for their lives, hence their education disrupted and future bleak.
He said: “The combination of the trauma and loss of education resulting from these attacks is likely to be lifelong unless children are provided with the means and support to recover from the traumatic events they have been through and are able to return to school.
“It is vital that children’s lives and right to education are protected through the implementation of the Safe Schools Declaration across the country.”
Meanwhile, the report, ‘Attack on Education in Nigeria’ was launched by the Emir of Zauzzau, Zaria, HRH Ahmed Nuhu Bamali represented by Wakilin Raya Kasan Zazzau, Alh. Aminu Yakubu Wambai.
The royal father lamented that the data from Kaduna State Ministry of Education indicated that 28 schools came under attack in 29 incidents between 2014 and 2022, which in Kajuru Local Government Area, 17 schools were attacked within the period under review.
According to the report, after February 2014 attack on Government Girls School, Chibok, Borno State, where 276 girls were kidnapped, the trend escalated, and added that out of the 276 Chibok school girls abducted 96 are still with Boko Haram terrorists.
The report indicated learners being also kidnapped had a geopolitical shift from the North-East to the North-West and North-Central geopolitical zones.
The report showed that the attacks on schools in the North-East region was as a result of political ideologies by criminal insurgency groups, while ideologies on economic gains were behind attacks on education in the North West and North Central geopolitical zones.
Meanwhile, the Country Director, Save the Children Nigeria, Famari Barro said, “Schools must not be targets, girls and boys must not be targets in conflict of whatever form, schools must not be used as IDP camps, or for military use. All hands must be on deck to ensure that education continues regardless.
“The finding of the report, which has been shared by the researcher, shows us the magnitude of attack on education, we must admit that the report represents the documented attacks, we have received more numbers of unverified attack on school, some stakeholders have said the report underestimates the magnitude of the attacks in the focal states.
“However we recommend the steps taken by the Federal Government of Nigeria in approving the Memorandum on ‘Mainstreaming and Implementation of the Safe Schools Declaration (SSD) Laws and guidelines in Nigeria’ paved the way for the domestication of SSD.
“At the end, it was on 31st December 2019, that the former President, Muhammadu Buhari signed the SSD instrument of ratification, signaling the country’s commitment to ratify and uphold the principles of the SSD. As at August 2023, 118 countries have so far endorsed the SSD and 37 African Countries are part.
“Nigeria is one of the first 37 countries to endorse the Safe Schools Declaration (SSD) in 2015 in Oslo, Norway. The SSD is a political commitment to protect children, teachers and school facilities from attack and being used by parties to armed conflict.”
Also speaking the Communication and Media Director, Save the Children’s Advocacy Campaign International, Amanuel Mamo, disclosed that the education is a fundamental right of children and attacks on education is an attack on the rights of children.
“However, globally, attack on education and use of school by security agencies during conflict and situation of violence is on the increase. Deliberate target of schools, children and their teachers had been the target of perpetrators.
“As we launch this report today, we remember, the girls who are still under captivity, the boys who were killed in cold blood in Yobe State, the teachers who lost their lives and livelihood across the country, and many others.
“As Save the Children, this report launch demonstrates our commitment to advocate for duty bearers to implement the Safe School Declaration at all levels, we call on all responsible organizations to pass the safe school legislation without delay and implement it.
“Schools must not be targets, girls and boys must not be targets in conflict of whatever form, schools must not be used as IDP camps, or for military use. All hands must be on deck to ensure that education continues regardless.”
Meanwhile , the Chairperson committee on education Borno State, and a girl champion for Save the Children Nigeria, Hon Madina Abdulkadir, said, “Government needs to do more in ensuring that there is proper security manpower to enable save environment for the benefits of our school children’s in public schools.
“We are at a critical time to properly look into the progresses being made and addressing the bottlenecks, Save the Children International (SCI) Nigeria commissioned a study to examine attacks on schools, teachers, and learners in Nigeria since the attack on Chibok in 2014 with an attempt to find possible solutions from the view of the impacted communities, teachers, and learners.
“Study revealed that these attacks have long-lasting consequences for communities and for children’s access to education, often leading to the mass withdrawal of children from school and school closures. For example, in Katsina state alone, in the North-Western part of the country, nearly one hundred schools remain closed due to insecurity, affecting the education of thousands of children.”
Source: Vanguard