24032021 - Insecurity threatens 2023 elections, Ortom tells Buhari

34 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 2021
Kidnapping and closure of schools: Surest
bomb for the destruction of Nigeria (1)
IN recent times, news media
across the country have been
replete with stories of incessant
kidnappings and closure of schools.
From these reports, it is clear that
students and teachers at all levels
of education – primary, secondary
and tertiary – are not immune from
the danger posed by armed
invaders. Right from the widelyreported
kidnapping of female
students in Chibok community by
members of the Boko Haram terrorist
group on April 15, 2014, it does not
seem that the incidents of
kidnappings are waning in the
country. Due to this, many state
governments have resorted to the
closure of schools as the first and
immediate response to
kidnappings. Therefore, I will
consider some of the reported
incidents of kidnapping and
schools’ closure, and the effect on
education and the country.
Some reported incidents of
kidnapping & school closure: PM
News issue of March 11, 2021 gave
a caption as follows – Kidnapping:
Niger Government Closes All
Public Secondary Schools. It
reported thus: The Niger State
Ministry of Education has directed
closure of all public secondary
schools for two weeks to enable the
state government asses security
threats and and its impact on
schools. The schools would be
closed between Friday, March 12
and Friday, March 27, according
to the state Commissioner of
Education, Hajiya Hannatu
Salihu. The commissioner noted
that the closure will give relevant
security agencies the time and
opportunity to conduct a
comprehensive risk assessment of
all public secondary schools in the
state. The decision to close schools
in the state came after an
emergency consultative meeting
with the leadership of the
Association of the Proprietors of
Private Schools, NAPPS,
Association of Model Islamic
Schools, AMIS, Executive
Chairman, Niger State Universal
Basic Education Board, NSUBEB,
Heads of Education Agencies,
Directors of the Ministry and other
stakeholders of the sector. The
closure of schools came in the light
of recent abduction of students at
the Government Science College,
in Kagara community of the state
few weeks ago.
On March 17, 2021,
Withinnigeria News under the
headline, "Kidnapping: Kaduna
Closes All Schools in Kajuru LGA"
reported thus: Kaduna has ordered
the closure of all public and private
schools in Kajuru Local
Government Area of the state
following continuous attacks on
schools by bandits… Last Thursday,
39 students were abducted when
gunmen invaded the Federal
College of Forestry Mechanisation
in Afaka, Igabi LGA of the state.
The students were later seen in a
video clip receiving heavy beatings
from their abductors, calling on
government to pay the ransom to
secure their release. Another
report, Newdawnngr, gave the
following headline, February 27,
2021, "Kidnapping/Abduction:
Zamfara Govt Orders Closure of
Boarding Schools". It reported
that: The Governor of Zamfara
State, Bello Matawalle, on Friday,
ordered the immediate closure of
all boarding secondary schools in
the state following the abduction
of 317 female students in Talata
Mafara Local Government Area.
The governor gave the directive in
a special state broadcast on the
abduction of the students at
Government Girls Secondary
School, Jangebe, saying it is a
trying moment for the state. “I wish
to assure everyone that we are
wholly committed to ensuring a
speedy rescue of our dear schoolgirls
and reuniting them with their
families" .
He said police helicopters and
other search and rescue operatives
have been deployed to the area
where the abducted girls are
believed to be, adding that
members of the public, and most
especially the parents and
guardians of the students, would be
kept informed of developments in
the efforts to rescue them. “As we
are making efforts to strengthen
security around our schools, I have
directed the immediate closure of
all boarding secondary schools
across the state," the governor said.
The effect of kidnappings and
school closure on education: As I
earlier observed, there seems to be
no reduction in the reports of
kidnappings, so much that experts
have predicted a rise in the number
of out-of-school children due to
More proactive steps
have to be taken to
secure schools from
bandit or terrorist
attacks and to stop the
kidnapping of students
incessant attacks on schools
particularly in the North Central
and Northwestern Nigeria.
According to a report by Blueprint,
an expert noted thus: Never in
history has the education industry
in Nigeria been so threatened by
insecurity like its current state. The
attacks on schools often have
adverse effects not only on students,
educators, parents and educational
institutions, but also on the
government and the society at
large. The rising cases of
kidnapping incidents at schools in
Nigeria show how vulnerable
schools in northern Nigeria have
become for bandits and kidnappers.
It means that kidnappers, bandits,
terrorists or whatever name they are
called, have declared war on the
education sector in the North and
in extension on the future of our
students and country.
When a teacher goes to school and
is not guaranteed of his safety, it
will affect his performance. Schools
being shut down completely will
impact negatively on the education
sector, the system. The number of
out-of-school children will continue
to rise because
parents whose
children are back
from bandits will
begin to think
otherwise and will
not want them to
go to school. The
children will then
begin roaming
the streets and in
the future, these
children will be
recruited into
c r i m i n a l
activities. More
proactive steps
have to be taken to
secure schools
from bandit or terrorist attacks and
to stop the kidnapping of students.
This is because if the emerging trend
of kidnappings, especially
students’ abductions are allowed to
continue, it will not only consume
our education sector, but also the
future of our country. Our children
and teachers deserve to learn and
teach under a peaceful atmosphere
devoid of any form of fear or
intimidation either by kidnappers,
bandits or terrorists.
In another interview, Blueprint
also reported thus: Everyone has
the right to education. It is
unfortunate that the fragility in the
North is derailing education which
is fundamental to the socioeconomic
growth and development
of the region and its ability to
compete in the global
economy. Following the incessant
attacks on schools in the northern
part of the country, certainly, the
gains of the past in term of
enrolment, retention and
completion or graduation are being
eroded. It will balloon the
outrageous figure of out-of-school
children in Nigeria. This is
because no one wants to suffer the
trauma of having his/her children
abducted in the name of getting
education. The number of street
children/Almajirai will also
increase. Child marriage will
automatically rise with its nasty
attendant implications like VVF
and maternal mortality and
morbidity among other issues.
Unfortunately, with this trend,
Nigeria cannot actualize the SDGs
2030 target.
Another expert noted thus: Given
the pace at which bandits attack
schools, government and private
proprietors will be forced to shut
down schools, intermittently, and
then for much longer. Parents on the
other hand will also be reluctant to
send their wards and children to
school; while teachers and other
caregivers will be reluctant to report
for work. The overall consequence
will be empty schools, and gap in
the education of children. Children
will be left idle, and restless, since
they cannot even be engaged with
the livelihood practices of their
parents due to insecurity. Poverty
will increase, social cohesion within
the homes and the communities
will be stretched, and there will be
increase in anti-social behaviour
among children, with both children
and their parents developing
mental health issues. All of these
will make recovery more tedious,
and take longer even when security
and safety are restored.
Unfortunately, the impact will not
just be on the North-west, or Northcentral;
the impact will eventually
be national and nationwide. People
will tend to leave insecure places
for relatively more secure places,
and the inequality with respect to
the conditions of living and
existence of residents and the new
influx of those seeking refuge from
insecurity will potentially be
destabilising for their new place of
refuge as well.
To be concluded…
:Vanguard
News
:@vanguardnews
$1.5bn: PH refinery'll run for
another 15 years —NNPC GMD
•Says new refinery may cost $12bn
By Obas Esiedesa
ABUJA—THE Group Managing
Director of the Nigerian National
Petroleum Corporation (NNPC),
Mallam Mele Kyari, has explained
that the Port Harcourt Refinery would
operate for the next 15 years after its
rehabilitation at the cost of $1.5 billion.
Kyari who defended the cost involved
in the rehabilitation of the
refinery, pointed out that building a
new one may cost up to $12 billion.
The Federal Executive Council
had last Wednesday approved $1.5
billion for the rehabilitation of the
moribund refinery, a decision that
has been criticized in several quarters.
But the NNPC in a statement on
Tuesday explained that the scope of
the contract goes beyond just turn
around maintenance of the refinery
to entail replacement of key components
of the plant.
Kyari described the approved rehabilitation
contract of the 210,000
barrels per day capacity refinery as
a worthy undertaking embarked
upon after diligent consideration and
in strict adherence to industry best
standards.
He explained that in arriving at
the decision to award the Engineering,
Procurement, and Construction
(EPC) contract to Tecnimont spA of
Milan, Italy, after a competitive bidding
process, the Corporation observed
an unprecedented level of
transparency and due diligence
By Ozioruva Aliu
BENIN CITY—EDO State govern
ment, yesterday, evening destroyed
the residence of former deputy
governor, Dr Pius Odubu situated
at Dennis Osadebey Avenue GRA
in Benin City.
The property was occupied by the
younger brother to Odubu as at the
time of the demolition.
Also destroyed were properties belonging
to a former Secretary to
State Government, SSG and present
member representing Owan Federal
Constituency, Professor Julius Ihonvbere
and that of a sports marketer,
Mike Etemuagbo.
Odubu described the incident as
unfortunate, adding the matter was
already before the court of law after
the government announced the revocation
of the Certificate of Occupancy,
which he said he read in the news.
"The information came to me this
afternoon (yesterday), March 23, that
my property situated at Dennis Osadebe
Avenue had been brought
down by agents of the government on
the directive of the governor.
"Before now, my attention was
which consists of a governance
structure and tender process that included
key independent external
stakeholders.
He said: "We have people saying
why not build a new one; why will
you repair an old refinery with 1.5
billion dollars?
"The fact is available even by Google
search, what it takes to build a
refinery of this status today. It will be
difficult for the country to build a
new refinery as it will take four years
for it to commence production.
"It is around $7 billion and $12
billion to construct a refinery of this
nature (Port Harcourt refinery). This
is the estimate you see in public space
and there are things you do outside
the construction battle-limits like the
utilities that are never accounted for
when estimates of this nature are
done.
"Typically, there is an additional 25
per cent cost for construction battlelimits,
so, when you say a refinery
can be built at $7 billion or even $10
billion, also think of that 25 per cent",
he added.
He continued: "With today's estimate,
you cannot build a refinery at
any cost below these amounts, that
means that the option you have is to
scrap this and build a new one, and
we all know that we don't have that
resource.
"If we start a new refinery of this
nature today, it can't work in less than
four years; therefore, it means we will
continue to import petroleum products
in the next four years or more".
Obaseki's bulldozer pulls down ex-Edo
dep gov, Odubu, Ihonvbere, Etemuagbo
brought to a publication in the media
in January that the C of O of my
property had been revoked without
prior notice given to me.
"I went to court in the matter and I
am surprised that after they were
served, the government still went
ahead to bring down my house with a
bulldozer.
"My younger one was in the house
when it was brought down and they
did not give them notice nor allow
him to remove any of their properties
before destroying the place," he said.
Wife of his younger brother, Mrs
Precious Odubu, who narrated the incident
to newsmen, said, "The way
they came in, not through the main
gate, I was afraid and asked about
their mission and they told me that
they want to demolish the house and
if there are children in the building,
they should be brought out.
"Without even waiting for my response,
they just brought in their buldozers
and started destroying the
house without allowing us to remove
our properties," she stated.
At press time, there was no official
response from the state government.
Leading Ladies Africa pushes for
gender parity, gets Appzone support
By Prince Osuagwu,
Hi-Tech Editor
WOMEN-FOCUSED Non-Prof
it Organisation Leading Ladies
Africa has said that the panacea for
Africa's economic growth is to give
women a fair share in the leadership
of the economies.
The group which condemned what
it described as gender imbalance in
the scheme of things in Africa said
African leaders must let women take
adequate share in leadership of the
continent.
The group in a statement said it
must continue on its goal of strengthening
the continued push for gender
equality, parity and inclusion for African
women.
Amplifying the group's internal diversity
and inclusion drive, it initiated
a Leadership By Design Summit,
which seeks to address and proffer
solutions to the most pressing challenges
women face in business, workplace,
and leadership fields. The event
is billed to hold March 27, at the Four
Points by Sheraton Hotel, Oniru, Lagos.
Meanwhile, a leading FinTech Software
Company, Appzone Group has
thrown its weight behind the summit,
saying it understands the importance
of fostering a society where women
and men are treated as equals.
Group Chief Marketing Officer
Appzone, Efosa Aiyevbomwan said:
"As a Pan-African brand with a global
outlook, we're excited to partner
with Leading Ladies Africa because
we understand the importance of cultivating
a workforce and society that
is truly diverse and inclusive, fostering
a continued sense of equity for
women and other minority groups.