Ogun, Lagos Tighten Security In Schools,Farms

Ogun and Lagos State Governments have tightened security in schools and farms, to checkmate the ugly trend of cases of kidnapping of students by bandits in some parts of the country 

Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State gave his approval for the recruitment of security men, to ensure adequate security in the schools

Abiodun made this known while addressing members of the House of Representatives' Committee on Basic Education, led by its Chairman, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, who paid him a courtesy visit in his office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

"I have approved recruitment of security men in all our schools, because we do not want to be reactive on the issue of security. We want to ensure that not only our children are safe, but their teachers also", he revealed.

Abiodun also said that his administration had invested so much to reposition the education sector, but would still not relent in this regard, revealing that about 600 schools would be rehabilitated across the State, to further provide conducive environment for teaching and learning before the end of his first term in office .

"We are also in the process of awarding contract for the construction of 60,000 furniture, so that our children can sit comfortably while learning", he explained.

Abiodun noted that an Education Trust Fund has been created, from which a certain percentage would be deployed to further develop the sector

He added that basic education would continue to receive priority as a Committee has been put in place to monitor and evaluate projects being executed with grants from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).

Speaking earlier, Chairman of the Committee, Prof. Ihonvbere, lauded the State for paying its 2018, 2019 and 2020 counterpart fund and its effort to ensure quality, functional and technology-driven educational policy, pointing out that the State still has about N2.7bn to access from UBEC.

Prof. Ihonvbere, while saying that the Federal Government has so far spent about N375bn on basic education in the last 10 years, maintained that his Committee was in the State as part of its oversight function to see what it has been able to do with the UBE grants, identify best practices, as well as lessons which other States could learn from

Also Lagos State Commissioner of Police,Mr. Hakeem Odumosu, disclosed that policemen have been deployed to carry out 24 hours surveillance on schools and farms, to avert kidnappings and banditry in Lagos State.

The Police boss expressed concern  that some of the terrains, especially those of the farms, were not accessible by vehicles.

He said the command would liaise with the Ministry of Agriculture and the state government in purchasing motorcycles for that patrol of the farmlands.

Fielding questions from journalists on the Command’s preparedness to prevent kidnap attacks on schools and farmlands, Odumosu said:

 “The Command has designed an Operation Order to cater for the deployment of personnel, surveillance, patrol and strict monitoring of schools and students’ activities across the state, in its bid to provide adequate security for both public and private schools in Lagos State.”