Ekiti schools shut for rescue campaign

Primary and secondary schools teachers in Ekiti State on Thursday shunned work to participate in the nationwide “bring back our girls safe and alive” protest.

The National President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers had on Wednesday directed all the teachers to stage a peaceful rally to demand the release of the over 200 abducted pupils of the Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State.

The teachers, led by the Ekiti State chairman of the NUT, Mr. Kayode Akosile submitted a position paper at the Police headquarters for transmission to the Inspector General of Police, Muhammed Abubakar.

In the paper signed by Akosile and the state NUT secretary, Jamiu Idris, the teachers who said the activities of the violent Islamuc sect, Boko Haram, had no link with religion and that they had lost 173 of their colleagues in the various attacks by insurgents.

They, therefore, demanded for insurance scheme for students and teachers because they now lived under constant fears of attack.

While commiserating with the families of the victims, the NUT urged the government to demonstrate “enough social responsibility and concern to guarantee security of lives and property”.

It also asked the government to declare state of emergency in the education sector, adding that “making the lives secured in our school system and guaranteeing conducive and peaceful learning environment is the first emergency need of our education system.”