Government Secondary School Chibok, Borno State, where more than 200 schoolgirls were abducted by Boko Haram insurgents on April 14, 2014, is back in the news.
Over six years after the insurgency attack on the school and the abduction of the schoolgirls which drew international attention and birthed the #BringBackOurGirls movement, the Borno State government is making moves to rehabilitate the school.
Though the defunct Presidential Committee on Northeast Intervention (PCNI) had done some work in the school, the visit of the Borno State governor, Babagana Zulum, on Monday found that most of the buildings in the school had their roofs blown off.
Zulum, who visited alongside some stakeholders and community leaders in Chibok, observed also that the much-publicised rebuilding of the school to international status ordered by the President Goodluck Jonathan administration in 2015 was yet to be effected.
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He, therefore, directed immediate rehabilitation of the school.
“I hereby direct the Ministry of Education to deploy a team of experts to assess the entire school and come up with a design and costing so that I can approve the immediate reconstruction and remodelling of this school,” Zulum said.
“We will also ensure that the school is allocated, adequate teachers. Already I have given a directive for the recruitment of more teachers both on a permanent and ad-hoc basis that will include volunteer teachers.
“Of course, before the allocation of teachers, the reconstruction will involve the provision of all components of learning materials including a functional laboratory for sciences. By the time I return here next time, I want to see a completely different scene,” he said.
Zulum has also ordered the release of N11 million as social protection to victims of recent Boko Haram attack on Takulashi in Chibok Local Government Area of the state.
“What happened in Takulashi is very unfortunate. We share your pains and we all believe that nothing can equal the value of a single life. However, I will present a token to support the 83 families affected,” he said during a sympathy visit on 83 families affected by the attack.
Twelve family members of those who lost their lives during the attack received N300,000 each, 53 people whose houses were burnt down received N100,000 each, while families of nine persons also affected by the terrorist attack received N100,000 each.
Another five persons who sustained various degree of injuries received N150,000 each, while another four families also received N150,000 each.
Zulum during his visit to Chibok also inspected a community water project in Mboa, about 5km away from Chibok town.
Mboa water project is designed with a 750,000-litre surface tank with water sources from 10 deep aquifer boreholes each with a 500,000-litre overhead tank.
The project, which is expected to be completed in 2021, is to solve perennial water scarcity bedevilling Chibok town and other communities around.
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