₦airaland Forum

Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), says the federal government has neglected education and allowed insecurity to threaten the future of Nigerian children.

The former vice-president was reacting to Tuesday’s attack on Government Secondary School (GSS) Olowa in Dekina LGA of Kogi state, where gunmen abducted the principal, a National Examination Council (NECO) ad hoc staff member and students during the ongoing NECO examinations.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by Phrank Shaibu, his senior special assistant on public communication, Atiku described the incident as “further proof that the Nigerian state has abdicated its most fundamental responsibility, which is: the protection of life, learning and the future of its children.”

He said the attack reflects a growing pattern of educational institutions becoming easy targets because criminals no longer fear the Nigerian state.

Describing the incident as “tragic and disgraceful”, Atiku said children in Nigeria can no longer sit public examinations without fear of abduction.

“An examination hall should be a sanctuary of hope, not a crime scene. A school principal should be preparing students for the future, not negotiating with kidnappers,” Atiku said.

A NECO official should be supervising examinations, not struggling for survival in the hands of bandits. Yet this has become the grim reality under a government that has normalised insecurity.

“It is impossible to separate this attack from the attitude this administration has displayed towards education.

“A government that has repeatedly made education more expensive through unprecedented increases in WAEC and NECO examination fees, neglected public schools, failed to secure learning environments and reduced education to empty campaign slogans should not be surprised that criminals now see schools as abandoned territories.”

The ADC presidential candidate said government policies have made education less affordable and failed to protect students, creating what he described as a “double assault” on Nigeria’s future.

He added that repeated attacks on schools have emboldened criminal groups because the government’s response has been largely reactive.

The bandits have become emboldened because they have watched a government that shows greater urgency for political campaigns than for protecting schools,” he said.

“They have seen a government that mobilises enormous state resources when politics is involved but struggles to provide effective security around educational institutions.

“Every successful kidnapping convinces another criminal gang that Nigerian schoolchildren are easy targets.”

He said the attack should shame those responsible for the country’s security, noting that no serious government would allow children sitting national examinations to become victims of armed gangs.

The former vice-president called for the immediate and unconditional rescue of all abducted victims and urged the federal government to strengthen security at schools and examination centres nationwide.

He also asked the federal government to move beyond routine statements and implement concrete security reforms.

“When the state fails to defend its schools, bandits inevitably conclude that nobody else will,” Atiku said.

The children of Nigeria deserve books instead of bullets, classrooms instead of captivity, examinations instead of evacuation, and hope instead of horror. That is the minimum any responsible government owes its people.”

yarimo:
Nawa oo ATIKU you are now looking for bad news to react like peter obi, ATIKU you are yet to comment on recent Oyo state school children that FG rescued

Validated:
Where are the students and principal sir?
I hope you will now blame Makinde again for the Kogi incident.
Tinubu should pack and go please!!!!

Is Makinde in Kogi
Abeg make una go rest. Always complaining. Every president should go. Go and contest na

givedemwotowoto:
Tinubu is a colossal failure and he knows.

The few Nigerians who still support him for whatever reason are enabling and rewarding failure.

yarimo:
Nawa oo ATIKU you are now looking for bad news to react like peter obi, ATIKU you are yet to comment on recent Oyo state school children that FG rescued

blackpanda:
Uncle go and sleep
All you are good at doing is complaining
We all know that the only reason you are contesting is to come and loot
Ole oshi

nothingspoil70:
When these children are rescued, the usual people will still call it STAGED

Bluntemperor:
But Alhaji-Atiku has Never Convinced Anyone on how he can do better,
Be it Economy,
Security,
Infrastructural Projects,etc.
Just being gaulible on Social Media will not guarantee Voting you.
For we know that Dubai is always your preferred Choice and Nigerians knows this😁

Validated:
Where are the students and principal sir?
I hope you will now blame Makinde again for the Kogi incident.
Tinubu should pack and go please!!!!

yarimo:
Nawa oo ATIKU you are now looking for bad news to react like peter obi, ATIKU you are yet to comment on recent Oyo state school children that FG rescued

SlavaUkraini:
https://www.thecable.ng/atiku-kogi-school-attack-shows-fg-has-failed-to-protect-nigerian-children/

Ttalk:
Atiku instead of you to advise your brothers carrying out terrorism you are here spewing nonsense