GOVT MOVES 2,400 N’ EAST STUDENTS TO UNITY SCHOOLS

Awards scholarships, to pay parents stipends

TO save them from attacks by Boko Haram, the Federal Government yesterday moved 2,400 secondary schools’ students from the three North East states under an emergency rule to federal unity schools across the federation.

The number consists of 800 each from the affected states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe and they represent students whose parents have willingly offered to have them moved to safe havens to continue with their education. CONTINUE READING....


Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who briefed journalists in Abuja after the third steering committee meeting of the Safe Schools Initiative explained that the Federal Government would bear the cost of education of the affected students, including stipends for their parents which would cost N435 million yearly.

She announced more donations that had come into the coffers of the Safe Schools Initiative. The Federal Government has since provided its $10 million fund which was a condition by the private sector in Nigeria for the provision of $10 million to assist in securing schools beginning in the North East and later other parts of the country. The private sector’s contribution is being expected according to Okonjo-Iweala.

Her words: “The FG’s $10 million (N1.3 billion) matching fund has since been paid and it’s in the Account of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). In addition, the German Government is putting two million euros; the British government is putting one million pounds; the Norwegian government has put in $1.5 million; the USA is talking of supporting us with $15 million, the African Development Fund has disbursed $1 million and the World Bank is putting about $3 million.

“This is for this immediate initiative. And don’t forget that Prime Minister Gordon Brown is also opening a multi-donor trust fund for safe schools at the level of the UN. We have now got two levels: One here is to enable us to start work immediately and the Federal Government has already put its commitments and we are awaiting the private sector’s commitment of $10 million and we have already applied for the Victims’ Support Fund to disburse that to us because the president has asked all the private sector donors to donate to the Victims’ Fund, about N1.3 billion equivalent of $10 million we have applied to be transferred to us.

“We are ready to start the implementation of the safe School Initiative with the transfer of 2,400 students to Federal Unity Schools of their choices. Their parents have signed on the dotted lines that they want it, they have chosen the schools, they have identified the children and the Hon. Minister of Women Affairs has been visiting the schools and children and we are about to set off and roll the programme.

They are on full scholarship and there is also, provision of all equipment that they may need with stipends for their parents to go and visit them anytime they want to. We have also made provision for the schools that will accept them, about 42 of them. Provision is also made for their counseling. We have estimated that this will cost about N435 million per year. And those who have chosen to remain in their schools, and those in Internally Displaced Camps (IDPs) there is a plan to support them to ensure that all our children are safe,” the minister further promised.

Some insurgents last April stormed Chibok in Borno State and kidnapped hundreds of girls at the Government Secondary School, Chibok who were preparing to write the May / June examination of the West African Examination Council (WAEC). While some escaped and are reunited with their families, 219 of them are still being held captive by the Boko Haram insurgents more than 206 days after.