By Terna Chikpa, Jalingo
A community group in Benue State, the Tyoshin Strategic Group (TSG), on Saturday decried the continued collapse of public primary and secondary schools in Gwer-West Local Government Area of the state.
The group blamed persistent herdsmen attacks for the situation, noting that the insecurity had forced the council area to rank among the local governments with the highest number of out-of-school children in Nigeria.
It called for immediate intervention to save the educational future of children in the area.
Speaking during an engagement with the Gwer-West LGA Chairman, Hon. Victor Torsaa Ormin, in Naka, the group’s leader, Dr. Engr. Felix Atume, lamented that only five government-owned primary schools were currently functional across the entire local government.
Atume expressed concern that the number of out-of-school children was increasing daily due to the continued collapse of public schools in the area.
He suggested that internally displaced persons (IDPs) currently occupying school facilities in communities such as Kula, Jimba, Aondoana, Achagh, Atukpu, Naka, Camp Nagi, and Agagbe be relocated, and that schools in those areas be converted into mega schools to accommodate the growing number of pupils.
He also proposed that displaced primary schools be temporarily established in Naka town, as was done during the 2023 general elections to ensure voters’ rights.
“We have come to express the alarming decline in public primary education in Gwer-West LGA and to appeal for immediate intervention. As it stands today, only five government-owned primary schools are currently functional across the entire LGA due to escalating insecurity and the displacement of communities by Fulani herdsmen.
“As a matter of urgent concern, we suggest converting schools in displaced communities into mega schools. Schools in Kula, Jimba, Aondoana, Achagh, Atukpu, Naka, Camp Nagi, and Agagbe should be converted into mega primary schools to accommodate the growing number of pupils, while IDPs currently occupying school facilities should be relocated.
“All displaced primary schools should be temporarily established in Naka town, just as polling units from affected wards were relocated during the last elections.
“Considering that primary education remains the foundation of formal education and a key determinant in computing federal allocation to LGAs, we also suggest that the SUBEB teachers recently posted to Gwer-West be fully deployed for the benefit of pupils in the area,” Atume appealed.
The group, however, commended the council chairman for his efforts in addressing security challenges and congratulated him on his recent recognition as Best Performing Chairman on Security Matters in Nigeria.
In his response, Hon. Victor Torsaa Ormin lauded TSG for its developmental initiatives aimed at restoring the educational standards of Gwer-West to their former glory.
The chairman disclosed that plans were underway to establish a central camp for IDPs to enable the resumption of normal academic activities in the affected schools.
While assuring TSG of his administration’s commitment to restoring the dignity of education in the local government, Hon. Ormin promised to communicate the idea of establishing mega primary schools to the relevant authorities for immediate consideration.
Great!