Over 700 pupils at the Local Education Authority, LEA, Utako in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), of the Federal Capital Territory have sent a distress call to president Goodluck Jonathan and the Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, to provide them a secured learning environment by constructing a perimeter fencing around their school.
Blueprint investigation revealed that Utako Primary School is prone to intrusion and assault of pupils and personnel by miscreants as a result of the unprotected nature of the school premises.
Represented by three pupils from Primary Six who chose not to be mentioned in print, the 700 pupils pleaded with government to urgently come to their aid as the poor school environment in the primary school constitutes a setback to their educational goals which supposed to prepare them to be useful future leaders of the country.
The District Police Officer (DPO) at the Utako Police Station, CSP Usman Umar, confirmed that the Head Teacher of the school, Mrs Hauwa Abdurrahman, came to report of the unbearable situation whereby idle youths now turned the school into a lodge where they engage in social ills like smoking and drinking; during and after school hours.
According to Umar, “We started raiding the school day and night to curb problems orchestrated by the activities of idle youths who converge in and around the school to carry out negative activities.”
The DPO said constructing a perimeter fencing around the school will reduce miscreants’ activities by 60 to 70 per cent, and advised idle youths who constitute nuisance in the area to find something meaningful to do with their lives as they are very young and agile.
He advised the school management to continue guiding pupils not to mix with social misfits roaming around the area and to report any suspicious movements to school management.
The Head Teacher, Mrs Hauwa Abdurrahman, said constructing a fence around the school and providing other social amenities like electricity in the school will help staff to take care of pupils, especially the little children under the age of three years.
