Nigeria Content Online

The World Bank at a
round table on armed conflicts on education, an event organised by
UNESCO yesterday in Abuja said the economic woes and sectarian violence
being experienced in some parts of the country are responsible for the
decline in the level of education in such areas. Speaking on behalf of
the World Bank, Senior Education Specialist, Tunde Adekola, in his
submission said: “Armed conflicts disrupt the education sector and the
learning process of children. The socio-economic uncertainties in the
country make many vulnerable to resort to violence.” He therefore,
urged the government to provide what the World Bank terms “social
safeguards and net worth to cater for the citizenry, especially women
and children who are the most vulnerable during crises.” Mr Adekola
said: “There should be a safety net for those that had contributed to
nation-building because everyone is susceptible to the uncertainties
and vulnerabilities in the system.” Also speaking, the Senate Committee
Chairman on Ethics and Privilege, Omar Hambagda, stated that most
crises in the country are more economic than religious or political.

Mr Hambagda traced
the Boko Haram conflicts in Bauchi and Borno States to inept political
leadership. “The council chairmen don’t stay in the office and the
governors are always globe-trotting, so when the SSS send security
report, the government’s response is inadequate and slow,” he said.

The deputy
missioner of the Islamic group, Nasfat, FCT chapter, Abdulkadiri
Apaokagi stated that the right of children needs to be protected during
crisis, just as he criticised the removal of religious education from
school curriculum.

The cleric
described religion as a mitigating factor in crisis reduction,
stressing that the absence of religious education in schools promoted
lack of respect for the sanctity of human lives.

Mr Apaokagi called on the Federal Government to increase the
budgetary allocation to schools, insisting that the nation has enough
money to surpass the United Nation’s recommendation on education
spending.