Northern proprietors, elders seek recruitment, deployment of security personnel to schools

The Conference of Northern Nigeria School Proprietors (CNNSP) and the Coalition of Nothern Elders for Peace and National Unity (CNEPNU) have called for the additional  recruitment and deployment of security personnel to schools

They also commended the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) over the recent rescue of 137 pupils of LEA school in Kuriga, Chikum Local Government Area of Kaduna State, saying the action demonstrated the capacity and capability of the Military to deal with threats to national security and public safety.

Consequently, both groups have passed a resounding vote of confidence in the Service Chiefs, ably led by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Gwabin Musa.

While reiterating their continuous support for the military and other security agencies, both groups called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to disregard a statement issued by a faceless group which goes by the name Arewa Coalition Against Insecurity, asking him to sack the nation’s Service Chiefs over its imaginary escalated insecurity in the country.

Recall that the group, which prides itself as a sociocultural organisation in the North, had, in a statement by one Adamu Bature yesterday, called on President Bola Tinubu to relieve the Service Chiefs of their positions due to the alleged escalating security situation in Nigeria.

The group accused the service chiefs of incompetence and complicity in the nation’s security problems.

But reacting to the group’s claim in a joint statement on Friday, the Conference of Northern Nigeria School Proprietors, a group of proprietors of private schools at all levels in Northern Nigeria and Nothern Elders for Peace and National Unity, a forum of elders in the region, dismissed the so-called Arewa group’s claim even as they described the group as a non existing one in the area.

To this end, they have told President Bola Tinubu and the nation’s Service Chiefs to disregard the statement, insisting that no such group was operational in Northern Nigeria.

Dr Hassan Ibrahim Funtua signed the joint statement for the Conference of Northern Nigeria School Proprietors, consisting of over 300 private schools in northern Nigeria and 

Prof Abdulkadir Mohammed, who signed on behalf of the Coalition of Nothern Elders for Peace and National Unity as its National Coordinator.

While the proprietors’ group is made up of over 300 school owners from the Northern region of the country, the elder’s conference comprises at least 50 respected men and women whose interest is the safety of schoolchildren in the zone, as well as the offering of maximum support to government and her various institutions, especially military and security agencies.

They challenged the Arewa group to come forward with proof that the government allegedly paid N1 billion as ransom for the release of the abducted pupils.

This was as they further challenged the organisation, described as “faceless”, to a live television debate on their “baseless and desperate” allegation of conspiracy on the part of Service Chiefs.

“It is with a deep sense of patriotism that we, the Conference of Northern Nigeria School Proprietors (CNNSP) and the Coalition of Nothern Elders for Peace and National Unity (CNEPNU), issue this statement to pass a vote of confidence in our Service Chiefs, ably led by the Chief of Defence Staff, General CG Musa.

“We are aware of the rot that these service chiefs inherited upon their respective appointments by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who has demonstrated the readiness to return Nigeria to the path of peace, order and good governance.

“A juxtaposition of the security situation in the country, before the appointment of the subsisting Military High Command and now, shows a significant improvement in the nation’s security architecture, with a corresponding impact on the security situation.

“That is why we view as appalling, distasteful, irresponsible, and reckless the statement purported to have been issued by a faceless group that calls itself Arewa…

“We, therefore, call on President Tinubu to disregard and ignore in its entirety the false claims made in the release, which was poorly researched and hurriedly signed, thereby confirming our position that the so-called Arewa group was procured by desperate elements seeking to undermine the government.

“Their allegation of conspiracy against the Service Chiefs is a smokescreen which, when cleared and deconstructed, will reveal President Tinubu and his Administration as the target of their venom.

“Aware of the high concentration of schools in the North, coupled with the difficult-to-access nature of some of them, we call on the authorities to firm up security arrangements around our schools by deploying more personnel.

“Conscious also of the workforce gaps in the military and other security agencies, we urge the government to undertake systematic and aggressive recruitment exercises to adequately secure vulnerable entities such as schools, internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, and worship centres.

“We insist that this Arewa group is a platform which donates itself to be used by failed politicians and interest to discredit the noble intentions and efforts of the Tinubu-led administration.

“Considering the abysmal publicity which attended the release, we are convinced beyond reasonable doubt that the group is of no consequential value and, hence, should be ignored by well-meaning, patriotic Nigerians.

“As responsible parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents, we encourage our children in the North to resist the temptation of being used as cannon-fodders by those who have political scores to settle with our leaders, who are working tirelessly to better our lot as citizens of this great nation.

“Once again, we hail our Service Chiefs and our gallant and ever-combat-ready troops for rescuing our children unhurt, and we want to place it on record that this is the best and most competent set of Service Chiefs that the nation has been blessed with in recent time”, the coalition said.