President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday laid
the foundation stone for the rebuilding of Government Secondary School Chibok,
which was destroyed by the Boko Haram sect. The school was destroyed when the
terrorist sect abducted over 200 girls in April last year. The president, who
was represented by the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of
Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said his administration was determined to
root out insurgency in the North-east region to enable residents of the area
return to normal life. “We sympathise 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. This administration promised to rebuild the
Government Secondary School in Chibok which was destroyed by terrorists. Today,
I am laying the foundation for the remodelling and reconstruction of this
school. 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.” The reconstructed Chibok School is
expected to have a state of the art library and laboratory, computer and ICT
Centre, a sports arena and a clinic. For security, it will have a gatehouse and
observation post to be manned by well-equipped security agents. Given the fact
that most of the staff housing, including that of the principal was destroyed
during the attack, a new staff accommodation and a principal house will be
constructed. The school will run on solar power, and a water reservoir will be
built for the new dormitories. The reconstructed school will include a brand
new administration block. Over 3,000 students in Chibok have been unable to
return to school since the deadly attack by Boko Haram in the community. The
president said this was unacceptable. He noted that while serious efforts are
still being made to rescue the kidnapped girls, the students that are currently
at home should be supported to return to school. Most importantly, he stated
that the kidnapped girls should return to a community that has seen some
improvement in their absence.
ThisDay (online)
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