Chairman of the Zamfara State Universal Basic Education Board, ZSUBEB, Professor Nasir Anka has lamented the taking over of schools by Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, especially in Anka Local Government Area keeping the pupils of the affected schools from their classrooms.
Professor Anka expressed this concern while hosting the Civil Society Technical Team for Safe School Initiative, calling on players in the sector to come together and collectively proffer a solution to the situation to enable pupils of the affected schools to resume learning.
It is a well-known fact that several schools in Zamfara State, Northwest Nigeria have been taken over by IDPs, some by non-state actors while others by state actors depriving a huge number of pupils from acquiring education.
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It is against this background that the Civil Society Technical Team on Safe School Initiative visited ZSUBEB and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, calling for implementation of policies on safe school initiatives in Zamfara State and improvement of the security situation so that 168 schools still in the red zone could be reopened for learning.
Professor Anka however said that plans are on to relocate the IDPs from the schools to temporary camps so that those affected schools could be reopened for learning, decrying the grave danger that lies ahead for the State if the children are left uneducated.
On his part, the NSCDC State Commandant, Sani Mustapha said the Corps is working with other security agencies to ensure a secure environment for all Nigerians, especially school children.
About five schools in Anka Local Government, alone have been taken over by IDPs with an estimated 2,221 pupils displaced by IDPs which is why the CSOs on Safe School Initiative are concerned that if this problem is not urgently tackled it could breed more insecurity in the future.
