From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), has expressed concerns over rising insecurity in schools following the recent abduction of over 333 students from Government Science Secondary School Kankara, katsina State.
To this end, the Union has threatened to down tools (strike) to register its discontent with the poor security situations in schools, and to also reawaken the consciousness of the Federal Government to the poor security situation in schools.
NUT Secretary General, Dr. Mike Ene, in a statement released in Abuja, on Tuesday, said the decision to abandon the classrooms has become necessary following unending threat to the lives of school children and their teachers.
He said: “The wicked and merciless hands of anti education terrorists clinched Mr. Alu Ola Paul, a Head teacher with Olagua Primary School Ohordua in Edo State, and Kidnapped him on his way to work on the 1st December, 2020, and released six day later.
“On 8th December, 2020, Mrs. Gladys Niemogha Belleh and Mrs. Blessing Emunefe, who are teachers of Ohorhe Secondary School, Effurun, Delta State, were kidnapped in their school premises by armed bandits and are yet to be released, thereby throwing both families, students, and the school community into emotional and overall destabilisation.
“Last Friday, Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, katsina State, was invaded by armed bandits with reports that 333 students are yet to be accounted for (as at Tuesday evening). This dastardly act has sent shivers through the spine of other members of the entire school community of Katsina state.
“These incidences are sad reminders of previous ugly events in Chibok and Dapchi, where Boko Haram terrorists attacked and abducted students creating monumental disruption of school activities and impeding educational growth and advancement, while subjecting family members and relatives to unimaginable trauma.
“The recent condemnable events of Bandits attack on schools, if not immediately addressed will largely affect the 2019/2020 academic calender which has already been disrupted by the six month long lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“NUT will not fold hands and watch enemies of educational development threaten the nations educational system to suffocation. As such, we wish to remind government of their primary responsibility as enshrined in the constitution which is the security of lives and property of the Nigerian citizens.
“In light of these recent developments, NUT may be compelled to down tools pending when it is considered safe for members to teach and guide pupils and students without fear of abduction by these faceless enemies of educational prosperity of the Nigerian Nation.”
The Union, thus, challenged the government to rise to the challenges and take up its responsibility to guarantee and execute the general principle and commitment of providing adequate security to all educational institutions and the nation at large.
It, however, admitted that government may not be able to provide security for the educational community across Nigeria, hence the appeal to stakeholders to join hands with the government and security agencies to provide adequate protection for the school communities, to ensure that educational activities are not hampered by enemies of the nations educational system using schools as soft targets.