By Rita Iliya
Minna – The Niger State House of Assembly has called on the executive arms of government to consider the reopening of some boarding schools closed down as a result of insecurity in the state.
This was the resolutions of the house under matters of urgent public importance presented by Alhaji Mohammed Haruna, member representing Bida II.
He called on the executive arms of government to revisit the issue of closure of the boarding schools in the state.
Speaker of the House, Mr Abdullahi Bawa, called on the state government to revisit the issue of closure of some boarding schools in the state.
Earlier in his motion, Haruna said Section 18 of the 1999 Constitution as amended provides that “government shall direct its policy towards ensuring that there are equal and adequate educational opportunities at all levels”.
He explained that due to incessant bandits attacks, kidnapping and abduction of students of boarding schools experienced in recent times, boarding schools had been closed down for about two years now.
The lawmaker said that the closure had affected the standard of education as most students of these schools were left idle and redundant, giving room for some of them to engage in some vices detrimental to the society.
Haruna expressed concerns that schools in Kagara, Pandogari, Tegina, Rijau, Sabon-Rami, Ibeto and Allawa, were still under closure while schools around Kontagora, Kutigi, Wushishi, Izom, Diko and Sabon-Wuse has been asked to resume.
He noted that if nothing was done to re-open such schools as soon as possible, it would have negative impact on the state as some of these schools were turning into criminal hideout.
He added that facilities and equipment in such schools were being vandalised and structures becoming dissipated as well as the school premises fast becoming breeding grounds for dangerous reptile.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Niger government had on February 2021 directed the closure of some boarding schools in Rafi, Munya, Shiroro and Mariga local government areas indefinitely due to heightened insecurity.
NAN reports that since then, students in the affected schools have been at home while the schools were under closure.(NAN)
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