ADC demands revival of Safe Schools Initiative

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has raised the alarm over the “quiet neglect” of the Safe Schools Initiative.

The Safe Schools Initiative was launched in 2014 during the Goodluck Jonathan administration in the wake of the abduction of schoolgirls from Chibok community in Borno.

It sought to ensure the safety and security of students, teachers and school environments.

Bolaji Abdullahi, the party’s national publicity secretary, voiced the concern while briefing journalists on the resolutions reached at the ADC leaders’ meeting held on Wednesday in Abuja.

The meeting, convened behind closed doors, was chaired by David Mark, the party’s national chairman.

Nasir el-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna, was among the notable attendees.

Abdullahi said several state governments have resorted to shutting schools and sending thousands of pupils home instead of fixing the security gaps that expose them to danger.

He said if schools are deemed unsafe, the appropriate response should be to strengthen security, adding that school closures only embolden violent groups.

“More troubling is the government’s quiet abandonment of the Safe Schools Initiative and the Safe Schools Programme, both of which were designed to strengthen security around learning environments and prevent exactly the kind of mass abductions we are witnessing today,” he said.

“These programmes were not perfect, but they represented a commitment to protect children where they learn and grow. Today, that commitment has been discarded.

“The government must now choose leadership over fear. If schools have been shut because they are unsafe, then the logical response is not retreat, but reinforcement.”

The party spokesperson urged the federal government to immediately deploy the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to unity schools across the country.

“Protecting our schools is a constitutional obligation. Continued capitulation worsens insecurity,” he said.

“Every day schools remain closed, terrorists gain confidence, communities suffer anxiety, and national stability further erodes.”

He called on government to take firm and transparent steps to reopen and secure all affected schools without delay.

“Bring our children back to school safely. Demonstrate that Nigeria refuses to bow to terror and remains committed to securing every child’s right to education and safety,” he said.

Abdullahi also congratulated families and communities whose abducted relatives were recently freed, including the CAC worshippers in Kwara and the schoolchildren taken from GGCS, Maga, in Kebbi state.

Following the uptick in the abduction of schoolchildren, the federal government ordered the immediate closure of 44 of Nigeria’s unity colleges.

The directive, issued in a circular released last week, cites “recent security challenges in some parts of the country and the need to prevent any security breaches”.