*Musa says military committed to security of school children, launches safe schools manual
*Agwai, stakeholders urge Tinubu to demonstrate political will
*Northern senators lament, demand action
*Interior minister seeks military-paramilitary synergy
Kingsley Nwezeh, Michael Olugbode, Sunday Aborisade in Abuja and Segun Awofadeji in Bauchi
The Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Mrs Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, yesterday, lamented that it was heartbreaking that school children were still being kidnapped, 10 years after over 300 schoolchildren were kidnapped in Chibok, Borno State.
But the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen Christopher Musa, yesterday, said the Armed Forces remained committed to the security of schoolchildren across the country, even as he launched a Standard Operating Manual (SOP) for the safe school initiative.
This was stakeholders, including a former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Martin Luther Agwai (rtd.), at a meeting to chart the way forward for safe schools initiative, urged President Bola Tinubu to demonstrate some political will.
At the same time, the Northern Senators Forum, yesterday, also lamented the spate of kidnappings in their region and asked the Tinubu administration to take action before the situation got out of hand.
Sharing the same spirit, the Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has reiterated the imperative of fostering closer collaboration between the military and paramilitary forces to bolster national security efforts.
However, speaking at the launch of the safe school initiative, Iweala, who lamented the security situation in the country was worried about how fast things had deteriorated 10 years after the Chibok experience and at a time she was the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy.
“Effort by armed forces in containing attacks could not have come at a better time. This programme started under my time as finance minister in the wake of the Chibok girls abduction.
“It is heartbreaking that 10 years after, our children are still being kidnapped,” she said calling for the supply of solar panels to plug phones and to light up schools.
“Nigeria does not have the resources to police every path of the country. But we have the resources to do the the minimum,” she said.
The safe school initiative was launched in 2014 after the abduction of about 300 school girls from Chibok, Borno State, as part of efforts to ensure that children in conflict areas or affected by insecurity continued with their education.
Unfortunately, the launch of the SOP for military personnel came after the abductions of school children in Kaduna, where some 287 pupils were kidnapped, 15 Tsangaya students in Sokoto State and 20 people in IDP camps in Borno State.
The defence chief said the SOP would provide necessary guidelines for members of the armed forces to implement the safe schools initiative within the confines of international and national laws.
“The Armed Forces of Nigeria remains committed to providing every necessary assistance for the security of school children and other learning institutions against attacks within the ambit of Nigeria’s constitution.
“The volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous nature of the current security environment requires better synergy among the military and other security agencies,” he said.
He, however, called for concerted efforts of stakeholders to work together so as to ensure school children are safe in school.
His words: “The success of such an initiative without doubt will require the utmost commitment of all stakeholders, who particularly are looked up to by the citizens of the country for their security and safety.
“It is, therefore, in the interest of our dear nation that every stakeholder works assiduously to build a strong, safer, more secure, and prosperous future for our children and our beloved country,” he said.
Delivering the keynote address, Agwai said the success of the initiative depended on the collective responsibility of stakeholders and citizens by taking ownership and providing intelligence to security agencies.
He said the move reflected the Armed Forces’ collective commitment to upholding the sanctity of education and creating a conducive environment for teaching and learning to thrive.
“Regrettably for learners as well as teachers currently in schools, the fear of them becoming possible victims and the trauma created by having their fellow students and friends attacked is having a negative impact on the quality of education in our country.
“This initiative must be a collective responsibility of all our communities. Our citizens at all levels of government, the civil society and NGO’s must resolve to have safe schools environment for our children by always providing the necessary vital information which is to be acted upon for the good of all.
“Accordingly, all of us must take collective responsibility and ownership for the development of this safety initiative,” he said.
The Head of Financing, Safe Schools Secretariat and Technical Working Committee, Ministry of Finance, Halima Iliya, said Nigeria’s educational system was always in deep crisis ranging from kidnapping and terror attacks.
She said the safe school initiative was delayed due to a lack of policy framework, funding and budgetary allocations to provide the needed support.
Northern Senators Lament, Demand Action
The Northern Senators Forum has lamented the spate of kidnappings in their region and asked the President Bola Tinubu administration to take action before the situation got out of hand.
The senators noted with concern that 441 people mostly schoolchildren were kidnapped in Kafuna State in the last one month.
In a statement by its Chairman, Senator Abdulaziz Yar’adua, the forum said the federal lawmakers from the North would continue to play their roles to ensure peace in the region.
“The distressing state of affairs concerning the recent wave of violence and kidnappings in the North is a major concern to the Northern Senators Forum(NSF).
“The series of events that have unfolded in Kaduna State, beginning with the kidnapping of 286 students and staff from a school on March 7th, the despicable attack on worshippers in a mosque on March 8th, the abduction of 61 more persons on March 12th, followed by 14 individuals on March 17th, and a staggering total of 87 individuals in Kajuru on March 18th, amongst others, are not only reprehensible but demand urgent and resolute action.
“We are committed to pursuing a lasting solution to this menace. We will not rest until the security situation is significantly improved and the perpetrators of these heinous acts are brought to justice.
“It is our core duty and mandate, and we will spare no effort in fulfilling it for the greater good of our people and our nation,” the statement stated.
Tunji-Ojo Seeks Military, Paramilitary Synergy
The Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has reiterated the imperative of fostering closer collaboration between the military and paramilitary forces to bolster national security efforts.
The minister said this while Musa, on a courtesy visit to his office in Abuja.
The minister while expressing gratitude for the ongoing support from the Armed Forces, emphasised the pivotal role played by military personnel in assisting agencies under his Ministry during various operations.
He also stressed the need to bridge existing gaps between the military and the Ministry, advocating seamless intelligence sharing and resource allocation to effectively counter emerging threats.
Highlighting key areas of collaboration, the minister emphasised the importance of training initiatives, particularly for personnel of the Nigeria immigration Service (NIS) stationed at border checkpoints, and officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) tasked with safeguarding the nation’s forest.
He, however, advocated a memorandum of understanding to facilitate coordination and operational assistance between agencies under the Ministry and the Nigerian military.
He said: “There are numerous responsibilities that I believe the nitty-gritty can be worked out in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between our agencies and the Nigerian military, encompassing equipment, training (which entails know-how), and other operational assistance.
“I want it to be your legacy, my legacy, and above all, the legacy of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that the military and the Nigeria Immigration Service were able to synergize and protect our border in such a way that any internal threat can be contained internally.”
Musa commended the minister for his proactive initiatives that have contributed to the Ministry’s progress since assuming office.
He reaffirmed the Armed Forces’ commitment to supporting the Ministry in its mandate to enhance internal security, stressing the importance of unity between the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Interior in addressing contemporary security challenges.
He said: “I want to assure you that the armed forces is fully with you. The Ministry of Defence, and the Ministry of Interior are one and the same.
“Those days, the defence came in because we were fighting conventional warfare, mostly country to country but now, the fight is within. We are fighting unknown actors-people you don’t know about. That makes it very critical. And, that’s why I want to assure you that we are going to collaborate with you,” he said.
