Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum has ordered the immediate rehabilitation of Government Secondary School, Chibok where more than 200 schoolgirls were abducted by Boko Haram on April 14, 2014.
The Governor’s directive was given on when he visited the school alongside stakeholders and community leaders in Chibok, realising that the schools had remained what it was since the day it was attacked by Boko Haram.
Zulum’s directive is coming five years after then minister of finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in March 2015, secretly flew into Chibok and laid foundation for the construction of a new school of international standard to replace the vandalized school.
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The federal government under Jonathan had by then initiated the project without involving the state government.
Although the defunct presidential committee on northeast intervention, PCNI, had done some work in the school, majority of roofs were blown off when Zulum visited.
“ I hereby direct the ministry of education to deploy a team of experts to assess the entire school and come up with a design and costing so that I can approve the immediate reconstruction and remodeling of this school.
” We will also ensure that the school is allocated adequate teachers, already I have given a directive for recruitment of more teachers both on permanent and ad-hoc staffing that will include volunteer teachers.
” Of course, before allocation of teachers, the reconstruction will involve the provision of all components of learning materials including functional laboratory for sciences. When I return here next time, I want to see a completely different scene” Zulum said.
More than 200 schoolgirls writing WAEC exams were abducted by Boko Haram. 219 of them were declared missing 57 escaped from their abductees days into the abduction. Of the missing 219 girls, one of them, Amina Ali was found in May 2016.
In October 2016, 21 of the girls were released by the insurgents through negotiations, while another 82 were freed through negotiation in May 2017. The Nigerian military at different times rescued two girls, making around 106, the number of the girls freed while more 100 have remained in captivity with their fate unknown.
