11 states respond to calls to protect school children – FG
Halima Iliya, the national coordinator of the Federal Government-intervention programme, the Safe School Initiative, has revealed that only 11 states have agreed to provide funds for the protection of schools within their jurisdictions.
Kidnapping of schoolchildren has resurged, with about 456 pupils, students, and teachers in captivity of the abductors.
According to a report, Iliya explained that the SSI had marked the states believed to be “most at-risk schools in each senatorial zone for the implementation of National Plan on Financing Safe Schools Programme (2023-2026).’’
She added: “Some states have made provision for the Safe Schools Programme in their 2024 budget in line with the National Plan. We intend to engage the states to guide them through the implementation.
“More than 11 states have responded. The budget from states is for them to work on physical infrastructure such as fencing state schools and put other control measures.
“Those selected (states) are where concentration is.
All states of the federation now have Safe School Desk Officers/Coordinators. These attackers would look for soft targets that they think the government is not considering at present.”
’The SSI, launched in 2023, is expected to expend about N144.8billion on protecting schools, their staffs and students, beginning with 18 states.
