BY Dauda R PamMaiduguri
The newly remodeled Government Girls Secondary school Chibok, which was hitherto attacked by the dreaded Boko Haram sect on April 14, 2014, has been commissioned, several years after.
President Muhammadu Buhari, who was in Chibok town, the headquarters of Chibok local council, on Monday, where he commissioned the remodeled government secondary school, which will now accommodate both boys and girls.
Represented by the Minister of Women Affairs, Dame Pauline Tallen, commended the BORNO state governor, Prof. Babagana UMARA Zulum, who single-handedly remodeled the school,, stressing that government is ever ready to provide qualitative education, especially the down trodden in the society.
The Minister used the occasion to convey the goodwill message of President Muhammadu Buhari to the government and people of BORNO especially the Chibok community and pledged to improve on the quality of the girl child education.
She noted that the present administration is determined to root out insurgency in the North-East region and the country as a whole to enable citizens return to normal life.
“We sympathize with the Chibok community. We know what you are going through. But I want to assure you that we are working day and night to make sure that life returns to normal both in your community and all others affected by terrorism.
“I want to appeal to Chibok leaders and the community to continue give their maximum support to the present administration under the leadership of Governor Babagana Umara Zulum who is ever willing to give girl child education the desire it needs”. The minister stated.
In his remarks, Governor Babagana Umara Zulum, thanked president Buhari for his support and co-operation to the state Government for releasing the required funds which led to the completion of all the destroyed structures, and pledged his administration’s commitment to uplifting the education sector in the state.
He prayed God Almighty to rescue the remaining schools Girls and all those still in the captivity of Boko Haram.
“The reconstructed Chibok school have a state of the art classrooms, library and laboratory, computer and ICT Center, a sports arena and a clinic.
“For security, it has a gate house and observation post to be manned by well-equipped security agents.
“This administration promised to rebuild the Government Secondary School in Chibok which was destroyed by terrorists. Today, I am glad that we are all witnessing the official commissioning of the completed befitting projects.
“We want our students to go back to school. We want them to get the education they need to live a decent life. We will support them and we will do everything we can to support their parents and the entire community.
“We will also not forget the Chibok girls. We are working hard to ensure that they return home. As a father, I can feel the pain of the parents. What happened was tragic. But I want you to know that this administration cares. We will not abandon our children. We are with you”.
He used the opportunity to commission numerous projects executed by the state government to mark his two years anniversary.
The projects executed by Zulum’s administration and lined up for commissioning included, the newly constructed Government Lodges in Chibok and Askira Uba LGA, Mbabala Technical College also in Chibok, Primary Health Care Centres in Mbalala and Wamdeo in Askira Uba, 200 Housing Units in Chibok town, 20 double classrooms in Damboa, boreholes in Mboa community as well as distribution of palliatives among others.
The Principal of the school, Hajiya Asabe Ali Kwongla, thanked Governor Zulum for the gesture, and solicited for the re-equipping of the school laboratory, provision of school bus/Tricycle for emergency/ eventuality and additional teachers to meet the demands of the students.
It was gathered that over 3,000 students in Chibok have been unable to return to school since the deadly attack by Boko Haram in the community, but with the re-opening of the new edifices, hundreds of students have been enrolled into various classes amidst tight security.
