Sokoto Gov’t reiterates commitment to students’ safety amid school closures
Sokoto Gov’t reiterates commitment to students’ safety amid school closures
From Bashir Rabe Mani, Sokoto
The Sokoto State Government has reiterated its unwavering commitment to ensuring the safety of all studen
ts across the state, saying the decision to keep schools outside Sokoto metropolis closed was in line with a Federal Government directive on security.
ts across the state, saying the decision to keep schools outside Sokoto metropolis closed was in line with a Federal Government directive on security.The Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Prof. Muhammad Ladan Ala, addressed newsmen on Monday in Sokoto when he commented on the schools’ resumption.
He explained that only schools within Sokoto metropolis are currently operating.
According to him, the metropolis covers Kware, Dange-Shuni, Wamakko, Sokoto North and Sokoto South Local Government Areas.
“What we said is that schools within Sokoto metropolis are the ones that are in operation.
” Other schools that are not within Sokoto metropolis are still closed. We are awaiting directives from the top so that they will go ahead,” he said.
Prof. Ala said the Safe School Initiative was well established in the state and that the Ministry had sustained engagement with security agencies including the General Officer Commanding, Police, and DSS.
He added that the ministry also attended strategic meetings in Abuja on school security.
The Commissioner further noted that the Ministry was working with School Based Management Committees, PTAs and vigilante groups to provide surveillance around schools, especially for students commuting from villages.
“We are working with our SBMCs, with our PTA, in fact with the vigilante groups in the various local governments.
” We always tell them that you need to have coordinated visits to the schools… station your vigilante personnel particularly for those who are coming from the villages, so that in case there is any alarm, they will be there,” he stated.
The Commissioner also stressed that while the state government was not in charge of security, it had to comply with the federal directive to close schools outside the metropolis despite identifying some local governments as safe.
“Security is more important than anything you are thinking about. It is only when you have security, when you have peace, then you will be able to go to your farms, you will be able to go to your school,” he said.
Addressing concerns over feeding in boarding schools, Prof. Ala dismissed allegations that principals were given money to feed students.
He said contractors appointed by the state government supply food to schools on a rotational weekly basis under the supervision of a committee set up by the Governor.
“There is no principal that is giving any money. The money is paid to the contractors.
” The contractors are being rotated among the schools so that you don’t become so used to the food,” he explained.
The Commissioner said the ministry has a Health Coordinator and was collaborating with the Ministry of Health to tackle diphtheria and other diseases.
He said drugs were supplied to Principals of girls’ schools last year and that supervision now covers 30 key performance indicators including sanitation and hygiene.
On transportation, Prof. Ala said the government had deployed free school buses for students within and outside the metropolis.
“The buses are free of charge, within the town and outside… Every morning we send them to bring students. By 2 o’clock, the buses will convey them back to their respective villages or bus stops,” he said.
