Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has assured teachers and pupils of adequate security across schools in the state amid growing concerns over attacks on educational institutions in parts of Nigeria.
The governor gave the assurance on Tuesday when members of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Rivers State Wing, staged a peaceful protest at Government House, Port Harcourt, against recent attacks on schools and the abduction of teachers and pupils in Oyo State and other parts of the country.
The protest, which formed part of a nationwide action by the NUT, was aimed at drawing attention to the plight of teachers and students abducted from three schools in Oyo State about two weeks ago and who remain in captivity.
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Carrying placards with different inscriptions, the protesters expressed solidarity with their abducted colleagues and condemned the growing insecurity facing schools nationwide.
Addressing the protesters, Governor Fubara, represented by the Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Peters Nwagor, said the state government had continued to work closely with security agencies to safeguard schools, teachers and pupils.
He assured the teachers that the government would sustain efforts to prevent incidents of attacks and abductions in Rivers State.
According to him, the Federal Government is already exploring strategies to secure the release of the abducted teachers and pupils, urging the union to remain patient as rescue efforts continue.
“We will continue to do all within our power to ensure that such incidents do not occur in Rivers State,” Nwagor said.
Earlier, Secretary of the NUT, Rivers State Wing, Comrade Bassey Asuquo, who led the protest, described the demonstration as a solemn march in solidarity with abducted teachers and in honour of a colleague reportedly killed by bandits.
Asuquo lamented that teachers had become endangered in Nigeria, noting that many now leave home daily to teach without certainty of returning safely.
“The school is supposed to be a sanctuary where the future of our nation is nurtured and prepared for greatness. What happened in Oyo State is a brutal attack not only on teachers but on education and our collective future,” he said.
He warned against treating attacks on schools as routine occurrences, citing similar incidents in Borno State and other parts of the country.
The union demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all abducted teachers and students and called on federal and state governments to take decisive action against recurring attacks on schools.
The NUT also urged authorities to deploy adequate security personnel to public schools and establish a comprehensive national school safety policy to protect students, teachers and educational facilities from violence and abduction.
