Peace Corps of Nigeria expresses worry over deteriorating insecurity in schools.
The Peace Corps of Nigeria PCN has raised fresh alarm over the sudden increase in insecurity in schools across the country and canvassed that the federal government be more concerned in the ugly trend.
Asides from bandits invading and kidnapping students and staff in schools and colleges, the Corps noted the disturbing cases of violence, cult-like killings, rape and bullying of students by both disgruntled staff and students across the states of the federation.
At a press conference in Abuja, National Commandant of the Corps, Ambassador Dickson Ameh Akoh warned that the trend, if not urgently addressed, is capable of throwing education in the country into jeopardy.
He said that the high rate of insecurity in schools and colleges is unacceptable and must be thoroughly addressed with everything at the disposal of the federal government.
“This briefing is informed by the prevailing terrible situations as it relates to insecurity, most especially cultism and gangsterism that is gradually having a devastating effect in our institution of learning.
“No decent nation concerned with qualitative education clothed with genuine character modification for her youths will allow the cases of violent vices to continue to move in circles.
“While this is happening, the world is watching, and this will in no doubt affect the perception and credibility about the state of our institution of learning and the quality of young persons graduating from our educational institutions.
“Peace Corps of Nigeria understands the prevailing tension and apprehension among the students as well as the complaints and anger amongst their parents and guardians and is desirous, in its patriotic commitment to intervene with a view to securing a peaceful and conducive atmosphere for learning in our educational institutions.
“It is instructive to be mindful of the fact that education, as a concept, is not just to teach students on how to pass exams, but a holistic process of facilitating learning, or the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, morals, beliefs, habit and personal development.
“Anything been left out of these attributes is tantamount to preparing gangsters that would in the near future infiltrate into the larger polity.
“In view of the current insecurity in our country today, the consequence of this, if not timely nib in the bud is better imagined than real.
“For emphasis, let me restate that from inception till date, one of the cardinal focuses or mandate of Peace Corps of Nigeria is to secure educational institutions from intruders and check the penetration of social vices including cultism, bullying of students and examination malpractices among the generality of the students.
“In the time past, we have effectively and efficiently discharged these responsibilities, leading to several arrests of student gangsters, recovering of weapons in educational institutions and checking of students loitering in town during school hours.
“The documentary records and evidence in this regard abounds for anyone to see including positive recommendations from Security Agencies.
“Regrettably, rather than been encouraged to remain focused to stop the circle of attacks and vices on our schools and colleges, we are being stereotyped and persecuted by the very agencies we are out to complement.
“Today, the situation is already getting out of hand that deserves a decisive solution.
“The stack reality is that for any security breach, there is always a warning signal. The proactive and timely response to such warning signal is the only sure solution to insecurity but not allowing the situation get out of hand.
“In 2004, based on our findings from schools and colleges across the states of the federation, including Federal Capital Territory, that points to a devastating security report on the porosity and vulnerability on our schools and colleges as well as the need to put proactive measures in place to secure the educational institutions. Peace Corps of Nigeria then proposed a security workshop to the Federal Ministry of Education titled “Taming the Tides of Insecurity in Our Educational Institutions”.
“The import of the proposed workshop was based on happenings in schools and colleges as at then and the fact that the leadership of Peace Corps of Nigeria anticipated that it will come to a point that cases of security breach will become the order of the day in our institutions of learning
“While the Ministry was ready to collaborate with Peace Corps of Nigeria on this, the plan intervention was then aborted because of security clamp down on our organisation.
“Now the country is painfully at the receiving end.
“Universally, there is no problem without solution just as we are of the firm belief that the dynamic nature of insecurity in Nigeria today requires role differentiations as a panacea to expertise to addressing prevailing security challenges.
“It also requires multi- sectorial, multi- lateral and multi- dimensional approaches to tackle.
“With all sense of reasoning and objectivity, Peace Corps of Nigeria do appreciate and understand that the government vis-à-vis the ,security agencies are doing a whole lot to tackle headlong cases of insecurity and criminality threatening the unity of the nation.
“However, if the conventional security agencies concentrate on their core mandate of protecting lives and properties in the larger society and allow Peace Corps of Nigeria to take care of security in educational institutions, sooner than later our school community will witness the much-desired peace, discipline and orderliness within its setting.
“The core import of this briefing is to let the government and indeed the general public know that besides having the wherewithal and the needed structure, Peace Corps of Nigeria by the training and orientation of its members does not only have the man- power, but as a youth-based organisation, have the capacity to tackle emerging social vices and violence in schools and colleges across the States of the Federation.
“Officers and Men of the Corps, mostly graduates, understand the psychology of the students and the social life in the school community, thus are more strategically prepared to take care of internal security breach within educational institutions and to quickly tip or alert conventional security agencies in the case of external aggression.
He then appealed to the federal government to take proactive measures that will arrest insecurity in schools and colleges and save education from the current threat of collapsing.