Parents Criticise FG Over Closure Of Unity Schools

Five days after the transfer of students from five Unity Colleges in the three states under emergency rule (Borno, Yobe and Adamawa), the federal government has received criticisms from parents who described the closure of the schools as gross insensitivity by a government in whom so much is expected.

The students who survived the ordeal and gruesome murder of their fellow students by the Boko Haram insurgents while they slept in their hostels were on Wednesday transfered to  unity schools in neighbouring states.

The parents, under the auspices of the National Parents Teachers Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN), through the North Central coordinator of the association, Engr Danladi Aliyu, said the closure calls for serious concern as the federal government did not take into consideration several factors that have been left unattended to.

He said, “The closure of the schools and the transfer of the students are a very bad indication of the present situation. The federal government should have postponed the time in order for wounds to get healed. The students that survived and the parents of the dead students should have been allowed to get out of the trauma.”

He queried the stance of the government in supporting the Nigeria Police Force  in dissuading parents from staging a peaceful demonstration to register their grievances and press home the fact that transfer of the students is not the solution as more schools and students can still suffer attack from the dreaded group.

He said, “The federal government is yet to assure parents that students will not be exposed to further attacks. The government did not even consider parents who might not be able to move their children to the prescribed schools as expenses are involved. They are yet to be assured of life.”

While asking rhetorically if proper security will be provided for the students to move in convoys, Aliyu emphasised that everyone is afraid especially as “The far north is treated as if it is not part of Nigeria.

The president has not shown enough concern. Nobody in the government goes there. If this was happening in the south south, drastic measures would have been put in place to checkmate the situation. “

Source: Leadership