SECURING THE SCHOOL AGAINST EXTERNAL AGGRESSION
Security is a serious business for the government at various levels in our society. Security ensures the safety and wellbeing of citizens and residents alike in any given community. Also, it is a process whereby people, communities, cities, states, and nations provide adequate protection for their citizens against marauders and external aggressors using different methods that best suit their environment in order to achieve the set target.
In recent times, Nigerian communities have been facing insecurity and insurgency at an all-time high. Different names have been coined to describe various groups that have been terrorizing the peace and citizens of the country. Ranging from Boko haram terrorists in the North East, Bandits in the North West and North Central kidnapping students from their schools, criminal herdsmen, and kidnappers in the South West and South East destroying farm produce. It is therefore pertinent that the government rises up to the challenge and nips this ugly trend in the bud before it consumes the whole Country.
Recently students were kidnapped in Kastina, Niger, and Kaduna states right from the comfort of their hostels which were supposed to serve as their abode. This goes to show that the security of lives and property in most of our schools in the Country is no longer on the front burner.
Flowing from the above, the Centre for Social Reconditioning and Development (CEFSORD) in partnership with the Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC) embarked on monitoring SUBEB\UBEC projects in Ekiti state. Ekiti SUBEB has prioritized the perimeter fencing of public schools in the state apparently due to the degenerating level of security across the nation.
During one of our visits to St Benedict’s nursery and primary school Ayede Ekiti in November 2020, where the school perimeter fencing project, details of which were obtained from the Ekiti Open Contracting Portal was awarded to BHISG Infrastructure Company limited in 2020 at a contract sum of N15,397,712.20. It was discovered that the contractor had left the site.
According to the Head Teacher Mrs. Ajayi R.O, the work had stalled due to the non-supply of some of the materials, like irons and red bricks needed in the completion of the project. Our organization CEFSORD reached out to the contractor to extract a commitment for speedy completion of the job owing to the significance of the project to the safety and security of the pupils and teachers alike, who are the direct beneficiary of the project.
Due to this advocacy, the contractor returned to the site, completed, and delivered the project in January 2021. The school environment is now safer from what it used to be with the building of the fence and the school gate which serves as a shield against invaders.
Conclusively, we appreciate the Ekiti State Government and SUBEB for being proactive in taking the initiative against the dangers of insecurity in schools across the state.
WRITTEN BY ODEYEMI DOTUN (Center for Social Reconditioning and Development)
