Buba Galadima, a member of the Board of Trustees of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), has advised the Federal Government to prioritize securing schools rather than closing them in response to rising insecurity.
Speaking on Arise Television on Monday, Galadima said shutting down schools reflects poorly on the country and deprives students of their right to education. He acknowledged the difficulty faced by state governments in balancing safety with learning but insisted that closures should not be an option.
“It is shameful to close down the schools. It’s shameful on the government and everybody in the administration. You cannot close down schools. What you will do is how to protect the schools,” he stated.
Galadima urged the government to step away from depending solely on physical security measures and instead adopt technological solutions capable of detecting threats early. He also called for the creation of special intervention squads to prevent attacks before they occur.
His remarks follow the Federal Government’s recent directive ordering the immediate shutdown of 41 unity colleges after renewed cases of student abductions. In a statement issued by the Director of Senior Secondary Education, Hajiya Binta Abdulkadir, the closures were described as precautionary actions to avert potential security breaches, with principals instructed to comply immediately.
