Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno
State has said Boko Haram insurgency resulted in 54,911 widows and 52,311
orphans, quoting statistics from World Bank, in partnership with European Union
and the Presidency.
According to Shettima, “these are official figures; probably the unofficial figure may be twice these numbers. The truth is that we either take care of these orphans or 10 to 15 years from now, they will be the monsters that will drive us out of this land.” The governor, who spoke, yesterday, in Abuja at a ceremony organised by a female rights advocacy group, Girl Child Concerns, to celebrate the graduation of 42 Chibok schoolgirls and 31 indigent girls drawn from Kaduna, Plateau and Borno states, said Nigerians should appreciate the fact that the girls had been in the “deepest valley” before they were released.
According to Shettima, “these are official figures; probably the unofficial figure may be twice these numbers. The truth is that we either take care of these orphans or 10 to 15 years from now, they will be the monsters that will drive us out of this land.” The governor, who spoke, yesterday, in Abuja at a ceremony organised by a female rights advocacy group, Girl Child Concerns, to celebrate the graduation of 42 Chibok schoolgirls and 31 indigent girls drawn from Kaduna, Plateau and Borno states, said Nigerians should appreciate the fact that the girls had been in the “deepest valley” before they were released.
His words: “You must have heard some of these girls
speak. It is often said that it is only those who have been in the deepest
valley that would appreciate when they are on top of the mountain. “If we knew
where they (Chibok girls) were coming from, they deserve a standing ovation.”
Poor feeding He said education was at a dismal state at the time he assumed
office, saying only N20 million was being spent on feeding per month for 76
secondary schools. He said: “I went to Government Girls Secondary School,
Maiduguri, with a student population of 2, 500. I asked the principal how much
they were getting for feeding and she said N1.2 million per month. “I did a
breakdown and it came to N5 per student, per meal, discounting leakages. N5
cannot even buy a sachet of water.” The 42 Chibok girls were among the 57 who
immediately escaped hours after their abduction. In April 2014, Boko Haram
abducted 276 girls from an all-female public secondary school in Chibok. Of the
figure, 57 escaped, leaving 219 missing. Of the 219, 106 are back, while 113
remain missing for the past 1,198 days, today. … on Sugar Daddies Shettima
added that while the school had no perimeter fence, hostels meant for 20
students had over 120 crammed in. He said: “Guess what? The school had only two
maiguards (security men). In the evening, Sugar Daddies lurked around, wreaking
the lives of these students. “But for us in northern Nigeria, we have no option
than to embrace western education.” The Board Chairman of the Girl Child
Concerns, Dr Mairo Mandara, lamented that the educational advancement of girls
in the north had been greatly constrained by a combination of economic, social
and cultural factors. She said: “It was difficult getting a school for them.
“In one school, some parents threatened to withdraw their children if we
offered the girls admission. “Bethel International Christian Academy, Jos, and
Ulul Albab Islamic School Katsina not only gave them admission, but also
created special remedial classes to help the girls catch up with others.”
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