The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has successfully conducted the 2020 Senior Secondary School Examination (WASSCE) It the very Secondary Scholl the Chibok girls were abducted by Boko Haram in the year 2014. The Acting General Officer Commanding (GOC), 7 DIV Nigerian Army, Brig. Gen.Abdul Khalifa Ibrahim revealed this while hosting members of Education in Emergency Working Group Nigeria (EiEWGN) yesterday in Maiduguri. Recall Government Secondary School in Chibok was the school the Boko Haran insurgent abducted about 200 schoolgirls in April 2014, whom were about to write WAEC. Although the Federal Government has secured the release of some of the abducted girls while others are still in captivity with the terrorist. Gen. Ibrahim, who is also a commander SECTOR 1, Operation Lafiya Dole, was represented by the Chief of staff of the division, Brig.Gen. Ifeanyi Otu.
He explained the central ideology of the insurgent was their hate for western education which has impacted negatively on education in the Northeast.
According to him, their effort is yielding results as the fight against the insurgency has been brought to the barest minimum.
In his statement, “We are all witnesses to what happened in the recent past like the abduction of the Chibok girls, the slaughtering of students at Buni Yadi and abduction of students at Dapchi.
“These are all that happened and we have turned around that narrative.
“It will be gladdening to note that for the first time in the past six years, WAEC successfully held WASSCE in Chibok with the military providing security,’’
The GOC continued that the Army is struggling to resuscitate education in the region at the same time trying to take control of territory from the insurgents.
He disclosed after the capture of Gwoza, the Nigeria Army had to integrate the teachers taking refuge into teaching the IDPs children and have been remunerating them.
He revealed recently, the Army donated some books to some IDPs school across Borno and have been engaging in renovating some schools to ensure that the children get bat to school.
He further explained “We are really doing enough to ensure that education is resuscitated and as we all know, education is one thing that liberates the individual and liberates the minds.
“In the first place, this conflict would not have thrived if not that there was a high illiteracy rate in this zone,’’
Earlier, Dr Afolake Taiwo, the head of the group, EiEWGN, and the Director Education, Ministry of Defence disclosed the purpose of their visit was in commemoration of International Day of Protecting Education against attack.
He also applauded the Army for being at the front line in the fight since the last ten years and urged them to continue the good work of protecting the education despite the country under siege.
Meanwhile, the GOC commended the group for their effort towards ensuring that schools in the North East were resuscitated, assuring of Nigerian army’s commitment to support actualising of the initiative.
