By Adesina Wahab
With terrorists continually targeting schools as soft targets for criminal activities, stakeholders have renewed calls for the effective implementation of the Safe Schools Initiative.
Speaking on the issue, the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the National Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN), Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, advocated the implementation of state police to strengthen security across the country.
“We know that security is an issue that concerns all of us. Community leaders and even residents should also assist by providing information to security agencies. Also, the Safe Schools Initiative must be made to work. It was launched in the aftermath of the Chibok girls’ abduction in 2014, and since then, its implementation has been inconsistent.
“All schools should be fenced and secured by armed personnel, not just gatekeepers opening and closing the gates. The police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps have a great role to play and must be deployed in and around our schools. The school environment must be safe and conducive for teaching and learning. These repeated attacks on schools must stop. We must not give in to terror,” he said.
