Northern Governors’ Wives Forum (NGWF), yesterday threw its support behind the decision to close schools in the region as a short-term measure to curtail the high rate of kidnapping.

Its Chairperson and First Lady of Kaduna State, Hadiza El-Rufai, at a press briefing in Abuja, noted that pupils should not risk their lives going to school as any form of kidnapping would have a lasting effect on them.

She, however, called on relevant authorities to permanently nip the scourge in bud to allow children get sound education.

“Insecurity is a source of concern to all of us, especially in a country where we have so many out-of-school children. On short-term basis, it is what the state governments are already doing especially in Kaduna and Zamfara states. It cannot be sustained because we must get our children to school. But as it is now, it is important we keep our children safe.

“So, it does not make sense to say that because you want your children educated you want to put them at risk. Meanwhile, I believe the government is doing all it can to see that these bandits are defeated once and for all.

“So, the short term measure is to close the schools and ensure that all our kids are safe. But the long term is for them to deal with the bandits. We cannot continue like this; something has to change.

“And I believe that the President and all the people involved to do the right thing are doing the right thing. This thing is not as easy as they sound. But I believe in the last few weeks, the bandits have really been bombarded; they are under a lot of fire from our security forces,” she said.

She further disclosed that the forum would plot plans to tackle gender-based violence and drug abuse in the region.

(Sunday Sun)

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