20th October, 2021
By Habibu Harisu
Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto has called on Nigerian Army to evolve proactive security measures that will improve schools’ safety in the country.
Tambuwal said this on Wednesday, at the inauguration of the second Nigerian Army Corps Education summit.
He noted that security challenges had constituted hitches to the educational system due to students’ kidnapping and other associated crimes.
The governor described the summit as apt, stressing the need for stakeholders to digest issues and provide solutions to security challenges, especially those affecting educational growth and development.
In his remark, Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, urged stakeholders to provide ways of discouraging religious extremism among Nigerians.
Abubakar said that religious extremism is among the backbone of all restiveness ensured in the country.
Meanwhile, he noted that proper education and a good understanding of religious teachings would surely end extremism.
However, he urged educators, preachers and educational planners to improve ways of reaching young students against all forms of extremism as well as breed quality students with good visions for the national interest and its people.
“Education system is a viable area to tackle religious extremism, negative thoughts and issues detrimental to human growth and proper moral teachings.
“I encourage stakeholders to facilitate the provision of a functional educational system where graduates can be self-reliant not only pursuing it for office jobs,” Abubakar said.
Retired Maj. Gen. Bashir Magashi commended the Nigerian Army for rejuvenating programmes towards improving educational standards and public consciousness in the nation’s interest.
Magashi, who was represented by the ministry’s director of Army Affairs, Mr Sunday Musa, restated the federal government’s commitment to safeguarding the educational system.
Earlier, in his keynote, Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Faruk Yahaya, said that the summit was part of army commitments towards reviewing Nigerian Army Education Corps’ performance.
Yahaya said that the army remains resolute to the discharge of its constitutional responsibilities.
In addition, he reiterated that Nigerian Army placed a high premium on education which has manifested by the establishment of Nigerian Army University as well as transforming the Nigerian Army School of Education to Nigerian Army Institute of Science Education and Technology.
A member of the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education, Alhaji Balarabe Kakale, called for more efforts towards reducing out of school children as well as measures to tackle the Almajiri Qur’anic education system.