The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, and the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Tanko Sununu, have charged the principals of all 112 Federal Unity Colleges across the country to protect their schools and students against any form of attacks or banditry.
Speaking yesterday at a meeting with the principals in continuation of briefings from departments and chief executives under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Education, Prof. Mamman described the unity colleges as ‘national treasures which must be protected at all cost’.
Mamman charged the principals to be vigilant on security issues, adding that early security warnings must not be taken for granted.
Speaking in the same vein, the Minister of State for Education, Sununu, while commending the principals for their patriotism and commitment to the service of the country, charged them to be watchful and take extra measures to protect their respective schools.
Sununu directed the principals to liaise with traditional rulers, religious leaders, parents and all security agencies to create the necessary synergy that would guarantee the safety of all federal unity colleges.
Responding to the charge, the Chairperson of the Association of Principals of Nigerian Unity Colleges and Principal of Federal Science and Technical College, Ilesa, Dr. (Mrs) Idowu Akinbamijo, assured the ministers that her colleagues would do everything humanly possible to ensure that the children under their care were fully protected, adding that as parents, the security of their children was of utmost priority.
Akinbamijo used the occasion to appeal to the ministers to prioritise the construction of housing accommodation in rural unity colleges as an incentive to attract and retain teachers in rural schools.
She also requested that provision should be made for posting entitlements of teachers before their postings were effected in order to reduce the pains associated with relocation of teachers and their families.
