Nation
Students’ Abductions: Education Sector, Future Of Our Children Under Attack, Reps Lament
Continued attacks and abductions of school children, especially the female ones, have put the education sector and the future of our wards under serious jeopardy, members of the House of Representatives said, yesterday.
Speaking through the House Committee on Basic Education and Services, the members also lamented the deplorable infrastructure in various primary and secondary schools across the country, urging the state governments to wake up to their responsibilities.
A statement from the Chairman of the House Committee, Prof Julius O. Ihonvbere, who also represents Owan Federal Constituency of Edo State, stated that the invasions and unabating kidnappings of school children have constituted a huge embarrassment to Nigeria.
“The House Committee on Basic Education and Services has observed with great alarm the steady dislocation and deterioration of basic education, especially in states that are badly affected by frequent kidnappings, Boko Haram and bandit attacks.
“This has compelled many state governments to shut down schools, especially boarding houses. The invasion of schools has disrupted the school calendar, destroyed school infrastructure and properties, traumatized our children, scared off teachers and school administrators.
“The clear consequences of these attacks are that children are afraid to return to school, parents are uncertain if their wards would be safe in school, and teachers and administrators can no longer concentrate fully on their duties. Insecurity is now breeding a palpable fear for education in Nigeria.
“Without doubt, it is the view of our committee that these happenings constitute a huge embarrassment to our nation. With the largest number of out-of-school children in the world, now, insecurity of steadily shutting down the school system in historically underserved communities. Even war-torn nations do not experience such levels and frequencies of attacks as they affect our schools.
“There are serious gaps in our state and federal policies on basic education, especially school administration and safety.
“When school reopens, the girl child will be the biggest loser in this unfortunate development. Already suffering from all sorts of deprivations, many will not return to school and the population of out-of-school children in Nigeria will increase further.
“Government at all levels must begin to design new and sustainable policies and programmes to protect, encourage and keep the girl-child in school.
“The state of infrastructure in many of our schools all over the country remains embarrassing. The infrastructure at the Government Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State, is just a sampler in the widespread neglect of the school and environment that our children are expected to live and study in.
“The basic education sector is under attack. Our children are under attack and our collective future is under attack. The consequences of the current disruptions will be evident very shortly unless urgent steps are taken”, Ihonvbere said in the statement.
Recalling that President Muhammadu Buhari had issued a shoot-at-sight order, the committee, however, regretted that the vices have continued incessantly, and even assuming a more disturbing dimension.
In a measure of admonition, the committee called for new policies and strategies to give adequate protection to schools.
“Though the President has assured Nigerians that the Kankara kidnapping of school children was going to be the last in the country, announced a shoot-at-sight- order for anyone illegally in possession of AK-47 rifles, and announced that kidnapers would face a very hard time, these horrible attacks have continued, especially in Kaduna, Niger and Zamfara states unabated.
“The policies, while laudable, did not address the glaring deficits in basic education.
“The Federal Government continues to provide matching grants to all states and the Federal Capital Territory; yet, the situation is not improving. While more funding is urgently needed, the deployment of such allocated funds needs to be adequately monitored. The committee is already embarking on a nationwide oversight activity on the utilization of matching grants received by States and the FCT in the last decade.
“It is amazing that basic perimeter fencing is no longer provided for schools. The Template on School Resumption in the Covid-19 period by the Federal Ministry of Education, prescribed a single entrance and exit access to all schools. As is now obvious, our schools, save for a few, are very porous and it is easy for kidnappers, bandits, rapists, cultists, lunatics, drug dealers and traders of all wares to access the premises.
“There is clearly an urgent need for new policies in this area with states exploring novel ways to protect school premises. We also note that our governments – local, state and federal, are yet to design and put in place a basic early-warning security facility that can transmit information from the school gate to the school head and to relevant security agencies as soon as there are signs of attack.
“This should be taken up as a matter of urgency. It is essential for all schools to develop an emergency response protocol to promote individual and collective safety.
“The committee urges the federal and state governments to design holistic strategies for involving the youth organisations, community groups, traditional and religious leaders in the design of ways and means of self-protection rather than sitting idly by when hundreds of our children are carted away on foot by bandits. Working with security agents the menace of these criminal elements can be curtailed”, the committee stated.
The Executive Secretary of the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Dr Chioma Ejikeme, has reiterated the commitment to service delivery for pensioners.
Ejikeme said this during the Customer Service Week in Abuja, yesterday.
He said that commission had a mandate to deliver good service delivery to the pensioners.
Ejikeme, who was represented by the Director Civil Service Pension Department, Mr Kabir Yusuf, said that the customer service week was important to operations of PTAD.
“Customer service is the support that you give to a customer, whether it is an existing customer or potential customer in the process of delivering or making enquires about a service.
“To be a good customer service representative you need to be knowledgeable, have good attitude and attribute especially to the senior citizens and have empathy,” he said.
Ejikeme said that all PTAD staff had most of the attributes of a good customer representative.
“We provide excellent customer service by going to verify our aged pensioners who cannot do it by themselves anywhere across the country.
“There is a dedicated team that was mandated to go round to confirm the aliveness of those who can not confirm their aliveness either because the are too old or have health issues,” the executive secretary said.
The National Coordinator, SERVICOM, Mrs Nnenna Akajemeli, said that the official theme of the 2024 customer service week was “ We Go Above and Beyond For Our Customers.”
She commended PTAD and the SERVICOM team for organising the 2024 customer service week.
“This is in line with the best practice of celebrating frontline workers and service takers.
“Customer service week is celebrated annually during the first full week in October.
It calls attention to the importance of people to boost morale team work and departmental collaboration in supporting pensioners.
“ It is a platform to reward employees for the significant work they do,” Akajemeli said.
She said that the objective of the customer service week was to celebrate the hard work and dedication of employee who strived to create positive customer experiences.
She said that it was time to show customers that the organisation valued their experience and feedback, through comment cards, dedicated hotline, among others.
Akajemeli said that it raised awareness internally and externally about the importance of good customer service in building customer loyalty and satisfaction.
She said that the benefit was to increase motivation, show appreciation, encourage friendly competition, boost employee retention, create a positive workplace and increase productivity.
The Head, Surveillance Department at the National Pension Commission (PenCom), Mr Abdulrahman Saleem, said that good service delivery was the key success of every establishment.
Salem said that PTAD operated with standard, considering the success it had achieved so far.
Saleem said that pensioners required the best service attitude and behavior.
“ I give kudos to PTAD for its efforts and encourage it to do more.
“Therefore I urge PTAD staff to keep up the standard and continue to give good service to the pensioners,” he said.
The Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, has honoured Flying Officer David Sangokoya for winning the 2023/2024 Royal Air Force College Cranwell International Cadet Sword of Honour.
Abubakar honoured the officer during the presentation of cheques to 13 beneficiaries of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Group Personal Accident Insurance Policy (GPAIP) in Abuja, yesterday.
He described the achievement as ground-breaking as it was the first time an African cadet had won the prestigious award since the Academy’s creation over 100 years ago.
According to him, the feat underscores the excellence that exists within NAF, and proof that NAF officers and cadets can stand shoulder to shoulder with the best in the world.
“To our awardee, you have set a new standard, not just for your peers, but for every cadet and officer that will come after you.
“This accomplishment is a powerful reminder that no goal is out of reach when one is armed with dedication, discipline and an unwavering commitment to excellence.
“Your journey as an officer has begun with this prestigious accolade, but the true measure of your success will be seen in how you serve, lead and contribute to the mission of NAF and the defence of our great nation.
“As we celebrate this historic occasion, we extend our deepest gratitude to the United Kingdom Government for its unwavering support in providing world-class training opportunities to our personnel.
“This has enabled our officers and men to gain invaluable skills and knowledge, strengthening not only our bilateral ties but also our collective ability to address global security challenges,” he said.
The CAS said that the NAF looked forward to continuing the fruitful partnership for the mutual benefit of Nigeria and UK countries.
He expressed gratitude and unflinching loyalty to President Bola Tinubu for his commitment to the welfare and training of members of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, and NAF in particular.
“I must also take a moment to extend my heartfelt appreciation to the leadership of the Nigerian Defence Academy and the instructors who helped to mould and prepare this cadet for the global stage.
“Their dedication and commitment to developing top-notch officers is evident in this ground-breaking achievement.
“You have not only trained a leader but have given the Nigerian Air Force a legacy we will all cherish,” he said.
National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has advocated private sector involvement to strengthen Nigeria’s healthcare system.
The Director-General of the authority, Dr Kelechi Ohiri, made the call at a high-level policy dialogue on sustainable health system reforms in Nigeria in Abuja, yesterday.
The Tide’s source reports that the dialogue was organised by the Healthcare Federation of Nigeria (HFN), a coalition of private sector stakeholders, to address the multifaceted challenges plaguing the country’s healthcare system.
The dialogue has “Private Sector Support for SWAP (Sector Wide Approach) in Healthcare” as its theme.
Represented by Dr Yakubu Agada-Amade, the NHIA Director of Standards and Quality Assurance, Ohiri explained the crucial role of private sector collaboration in strengthening Nigeria’s healthcare system
He highlighted the “One Plan” under the SWAp framework, which seeks to unify health sector efforts, ensuring efficient resource use, effective governance and expanded healthcare access.
He also stressed the importance of overcoming barriers that historically hindered the implementation of healthcare interventions in Nigeria, such as inadequate financing, weak governance systems, and bureaucratic bottlenecks.
He added that “the dialogue explored innovative approaches, including digital health innovations and financing mechanisms to accelerate the implementation of the National Health Act and mandatory health insurance coverage.
“With enrollment in health insurance growing by 14 per cent over the past year, NHIA can push for greater inclusivity, particularly targeting the informal sector through flexible payment systems and partnerships with telecommunications companies.”
He called for stronger synergy between public and private health actors to ensure universal access to quality healthcare and sustainable reforms in line with the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative (NHSRII).
Panelists from the Association of Nigerian Private Medical Practitioners (ANPMP), Healthcare Providers Association of Nigeria (HCPAN) and Health and Managed Care Association of Nigeria (HMCAN) echoed the sentiments, underscoring the private sector’s role in expanding insurance coverage and improving healthcare delivery.
They commended NHIA’s efforts toward driving reforms to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) through the Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp).
