Metro
Insecurity: FG Moves to Ensure Adequate Safety in Schools
By Tony Obiechina, Abuja
The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed has disclosed plans by the Ministry in collaboration with other Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to raise funds towards ensuring safety in schools environment.
Towards realising the stated objective, she said already, the Ministry has established a committee with members drawn from relevant MDAS, including Federal Ministry of Education, the Military and other Security Agencies.
The Minister made these disclosures while declaring open a Summit for “Safeguarding Our Schools/ Protecting Our Children & Future”, organised by Emergency Coordination Centre, in Abuja on Thursday.
According to her, the Committee has been working to collate inputs from the relevant MDAs and to develop a National Plan for Financing Safe Schools.
“The plan will incorporate state level plans, as well as Federal Government sectoral plans, with an emphasis on ensuring adequate budgetary allocation in order to create a safe learning environment for teaching, learning, and restoring confidence in the education system.
“Consultations are currently underway with States, local governments and other critical agencies of government, and the Committee is also working to identify the most transparent, effective and accountable ways of mobilizing and deploying resources.
“The goal is to develop a robust collaborative costed that prioritizes plan which would adopt the whole society approach to safe schools. The National Plan will be implemented in phases starting with Most at Risk States, Local Governments and Schools Host Communities.
“This National Plan is expected to be launched before the end of the 3rd quarter of 2022, and will clearly outline how Nigeria intends to protect her schools and other learning places, so that our children can once again return to learning in a safer and more secured environment”, Ahmed said.
The Minister pointed out that the security and safety of children, their teachers, and of host communities continues to be a critical priority for the Government of Nigeria.
She further stated that over the past several years Nigeria has faced major security challenges, including attacks on schools and other learning places, adding that “this has led to the closure of schools in impacted and most at risk communities”.
Ahmed said the Federal Government in keeping with its responsibility to create a safer and more secure teaching, learning and living environment for her children has taken several steps in this direction.
She recalled that in 2014, as part of efforts to tackle these crises, the Federal Government launched the Safe School Initiative (SSI), focused on enabling children affected by conflict and insecurity to continue with their education unhindered.
Similarly, she said on 31st December 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari formally signed the Safe Schools Declaration Ratification Documents, signaling the country’s commitment to implementing the intergovernmental commitment in Nigeria.
She said last year, to further demonstrate the resolve of the government and people of Nigeria to address the serious challenges posed by conflicts and insecurity to safe schools, and in consultation with local and global stakeholders, “we convened (in partnership with the Emergency Coordination Center, UNICEF and other stakeholders) a High Level Forum on Financing Safe Schools, culminating in a collective set of commitments reflected in the Abuja Compact In October 2021.
“Nigeria hosted the Fourth International Conference on the Safe Schools Declaration. The summit was aimed to galvanize needed support for the declaration and to review progress in achieving the various commitments to protect schools and children from further attacks”.
The Minister commended the organisers of the Summit spearheaded by Dr. Ayoade Alakija, adding that “the incredible work undertaken by the Emergency Coordination Center over the past 8 months (emphasizing the first hand narratives, and data collected from communities and schools across the country) will undoubtedly prove invaluable as we work collectively to develop and fund integrated solutions to the issue of school safety in Nigeria”.
The Federal Capital Territory Civil Service Commission has begun the regularisation of staff appointments in the FCT Administration and the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA).
The Head of the Civilo Service, Dr Udo Atang, said at the commencement of the exercise in Abuja on Wednesday, that the move was to ensure accurate data of all staff.
Atang described the regularisation as a “critical” exercise, which forms the bedrock of the new FCT Civil Service Commission (CSC).
He pointed out that all the staff were holding letters of appointments from various agencies, departments, area councils, and the defunct Ministry of FCT and FCDA among others.
The holders of these letters, he said, have been raising issues of discrimination based on letters of appointment.
According to him, the exercise and the gazette by the commission that will come thereafter, will give all staff a sense of identity.
“The essence of this regularisation is to ensure that staff are properly documented.
“You will now have letters that will now qualify you as a bonafide staff of the FCT Civil Service Commission.”
The head of service, who appealed for full cooperation of the workers, directed that a list of all staff on course, study leave, leave of absence and other related permissions be compiled and submitted.
He added that the list should be compiled with grade level, designation and record of service, including approvals.
Atang commended the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, for his doggedness and commitment in implementing the provisions of the FCT CSC Act, 2018.
Noting Wike’s support and love for the FCT workers, the head of service urged the workers to reciprocate the minister’s uncommon gesture, by being dedicated and committed to their respective duties.
Also speaking, the Chairman, FCT CSC, Mr Emeka Ezeh, stressed that part of the responsibilities of the commission was in the appointment, promotion and discipline of all FCTA and FCDA workers.
Ezeh also stressed the need for the workers to be more committed in the discharge of their responsibilities. (NAN)
From Jude Dangwam, Jos
The Catholic Women Organization of Nigeria (CWON) has organized a trauma healing session for survivors of the Jos Saint Academy School collapse alongside parents who lost their children in the unfortunate incident.The National President of the organization, Dame Mary Gonzum noted that the effort was part of their psychosocial support and counseling services for victims of the school building collapse as a follow-up to the assessment of the condition of the victims during their visit.
Gonzum speaking during a one day trauma session held at the Secretariat of the Justice Development and Peace/Caritas Commission (JDPC) of the Catholic Archdiocese located along Zaria Road in Jos the Plateau State capital said the trauma healing session was in continuation of their intervention to students who experienced the building collapsed.”Today, a trauma healing session was flagged off with a seminar on how to go about handling the trauma that victims of the Saint Academy School Busa Buji in Jos are passing through.”We will later select those that are so traumatic and need help to continue with the process of healing because it is not something that will end in a day or two but will need sometime.”The surviving students who experienced the building collapsed, parents of the students are all here because some parents are so traumatic, we have one other woman that lost two children”This trauma became necessary because when we went visiting in the hospitals, we observed that some of them are really traumatic. Like the other boy, his mother said up till today he kept telling his mother that he is seeing dead bodies, and anybody he sees he will say is his classmate.”Some of the affected parents while sharing their encounters after the incident said they hardly sleep in the day or night time. Some manage to sleep for two hours and they’re awake, and from the little lectures we received today it is clear that there is a problem,” She noted.The President calls on the government to ensure that those saddled with the responsibility of approving, inspecting and supervising structures are meant to do their job with all diligence to avert future happenings again.Some of the affected parents including; Hasana Suleman Sale who lost two of her children recalled with pains the unfortunate development that claimed the lives of her two children. She expressed gratitude for the trauma healing session which she said came as a means of consolation and strength for her to overcome the trauma she is passing through.
The Catholic Church in Nigeria has welcomed the newly-appointed Apostolic to Nigeria, Archbishop Michael Francis Crotty.
Crotty, an Irish, was appointed by the Vatican.
He will oversee the propagation of the gospel of Jesus Christ through the church in Nigeria.
The position, an ambassadorial status, advances cohesion in the body of Christ.
In his welcome message for Crotty on Tuesday, the President of Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Archbishop Lucius Ugorji, said that the Church was glad to receive him.
The CBCN president, who is also the Archbishop of Owerri Catholic Archdiocese, said,” With joy and gratitude to God, I extend a hearty welcome to Archbishop Michael Francis Crotty on behalf of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, clergy, religious and lay faithful in Nigeria.
“We are thankful to His Holiness, Pope Francis, for appointing Archbishop Michael Francis Crotty as the Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria to build on the good works of his predecessor, Archbishop Antonio Filipazzi.
“His appointment is a testament to the strong spiritual bond between our countries,” he said.
He said that although Crotty was the first Apostolic Nuncio from Ireland to serve in Nigeria, many Irish missionaries had played significant roles in spreading the gospel in Nigeria.
“We appreciate Archbishop Crotty’s acceptance of serving in Nigeria and assure him of our full support and cooperation.
“We pray for a fruitful mission and a blessed tenure for our excellency,” he added. (NAN)
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