Parents in some rural schools in Anambra State have appealed to Governor Chukwuma Soludo to deploy enough security operatives to protect schools to prevent the menacing gunmen in parts of the state, who have either maimed, kidnapped or killed some.of their children.
Their argument is that because of the insecurity, many parents were withdrawing their children from schools, adding that the governor’s action in that regard would encourage them to return their wards to schools.
Recall that gunmen in the Eastern part of the country had warned of dire consequences of people who still send their children to schools, insisting that until the Biafra agitation by the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) is actualized, schools must be shut in the zone.
But the generality of the people dismissed the threat as the handiwork of school dropouts, miscreants and never do well who have nothing to lose if schools are shut.
Consewuently, the proprietor of Friend of Friends Schools, Nnewi, Mr. Festus Okeke- Enyobi, said with the reintroduction of the Anambra Vigilante Group, there would be enough security personnel to go round the schools.
He said: “We think the major thing these rural schools need now is security personnel, especially in the most affected gunmen -targeted local government areas.
“The governor should deploy security personnel to all the schools in rural areas.
“The state of insecurity in the state, especially, in and around Nnewi, Ihiala, Ekwusigo local government areas, requires security presence in all the public/private schools to boost the students confidence while in their classrooms”.
According to Okeke-Enyobi, restoration of security in schools would also ensure improvement in the standard of education in the state.
He also appealed to politicians and philanthropists in the state to assist government in its efforts to address security situation in the state.
He lamented dearth of social amenities in state-owned schools, adding that apart from insecurity, most schools in the state also lack electricity, water and sports facilities.
Another parent, Mr. Ignatius Maduka observed that population of many schools in the rural areas had dropped since the activities of the gunmen increased in the state and suggested that communities should also fortify their vigilante outfits to complement the one established by Governor Soludo.
Maduka said that only schools in the urban centers have full compliment of pupils and students as many parents in the rural areas have withdrawn their children from schools.
