Insecurity: Ondo sets up committee on safe school programme

The Ondo State Government has launched a steering committee dedicated to implementing a safe schools program, a crucial step in bolstering the security of students and educational institutions across the state. This initiative is part of a broader effort to shield school children from the escalating threats of kidnapping and other criminal activities plaguing the region.

The Safe Schools Initiative, originally a federal government program, is designed to safeguard students, educators, and school infrastructure from violence and attacks. The newly formed steering committee in Ondo State, inaugurated in Akure, will be responsible for executing critical tasks, providing strategic guidance, and enhancing collaboration among all involved parties.

“

You are to support the implementation of the Safe Schools Programme and strengthen mechanisms to prevent security threats in the educational institutions of the state.

Members of the committee include representatives from the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the Amotekun Corps, alongside religious and traditional leaders, and the Parents-Teachers Association. The state's Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Igbekele Ajibefun, who chairs the committee, emphasized the need for active participation from all stakeholders.

Ajibefun urged committee members to diligently implement the Safe Schools Programme and reinforce security measures within educational facilities. He stressed that security is a collective responsibility requiring constant vigilance, preparedness, and coordinated action. Akindele Ige, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry and secretary of the committee, highlighted that the committee's formation is a direct response to the increasing security threats targeting schools, noting that "No meaningful teaching can take place where there is fear, and no effective learning can occur where there is insecurity."

“

No meaningful teaching can take place where there is fear, and no effective learning can occur where there is insecurity.