How Kano government is addressing security challenges across schools

“For a very long period, thugs have turned this place into their den. Aside from stealing our property, they also sleep here with their weapons and illicit drugs. In the morning, when students are taking lessons, they will suddenly drop from the ceiling and nobody can dare talk to them. This is as a result […]

“For a very long period, thugs have turned this place into their den. Aside from stealing our property, they also sleep here with their weapons and illicit drugs. In the morning, when students are taking lessons, they will suddenly drop from the ceiling and nobody can dare talk to them. This is as a result of the lack of perimeter fence, to the extent that they even steal away our roofing sheets,” a principal of one of the secondary schools in the Kano metropolis has cried out. 

This is the situation of the many secondary schools located in the metropolitan area of Kano State. They are places of living for thugs. After they undergo their daily criminal activities, they turn the schools into their hiding places. Not only that; they also steal almost all the important belongings of the schools, thereby halting the smooth running of learning and threatening students from attending classes. 

The deteriorating state of the situation has forced several parents and guardians to withdraw their children from the schools, an incident that left many boys and girls out of school and also affected enrollment of new pupils. 

Daily Trust gathered that notable among the schools that face these challenges are Government Secondary School, Stadium, Government Girls Secondary School, Dabo and  Government Secondary School, Kwakwachi. Many of the schools were said to have no gatemen as the thugs have chased them away. 

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However, worried by the situation, the state government recently embarked on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) to renovate the dilapidated schools and proffer a better solution to the security challenges bedeviling them across the state. The project targets many schools that were affected by a series of miscreants’ attacks across various parts of the state. 

The new model introduced by the state government is towards complementing its efforts of free and compulsory education in the state, and also to ensure that teaching and learning are conducted in a conducive atmosphere. 

Piloting the model is the Kano State Urban Planning and Development Authority (KNUPDA) with other relevant stakeholders as overseers of the project which include the State House of Assembly, School Based Management Committee (SBMC), Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) and management of the schools. 

Experts said the new model will help in addressing challenges associated with dearth of instructional materials in the schools, security threats among others. However, others said the initiative will expose schools to crowds as the shops being constructed in the schools  may disrupt learning activities when they start businesses . 

Speaking about the project, the Managing Director of KNUPDA, Arch. Sulaiman Ahmed Abdulwahab, said it involved allocating perimeter fences of the schools to private individuals who will build shops around the perimeter fences.  

He said unlike what people said in town that the state government was selling the school fences to individuals, the government is rather engaging the investors to build the shops and that the developed properties will eventually return to the schools. He said the system will help in improving education and enable the schools to maintain themselves. 

“The renovation being carried out across the selected schools is a public private partnership (PPP) with the construction of shops by the perimeter fence of the schools, which will be providing funds to the schools’ management. The ownership of the shops will eventually belong to the schools after a period.  

“Similarly, the security threat of miscreants hibernating around the schools posing dangers to the teachers and students would be addressed with the security that would be provided by the shop owners,” he said. 

He explained further that under the programme, 21 public schools have been selected as pilots within the metropolis as a measure to address insecurity facing most of the schools due to activities of miscreants and also to serve as a source of income for the schools’ management for maintenance. 

He said they didn’t just commence the project without the consent of the schools as also being peddled around the state by people who do not have full knowledge of the project, adding that the State House of Assembly was also involved through its education committee. 

“As part of the mandate of the agency and collaboration with the state ministry of education, the state assembly was approached for amendment of law guiding activities around schools to give room for the renovation and remodeling. With the support of the lawmakers and the state governor, the law was amended and this gave the opportunity to fashion out ways in which the schools will be secured and generate maintenance funds,” the MD added. 

During the most recent inspection visit to some of the schools, the MD revealed that more than 85% of the renovations have been completed under the first phase, in eight secondary schools and one primary school which include G.S.S Stadium, G.G.S.S Dabo, G.S.S Kwakwachi, G.S.S Bachirawa, G.S.S Kofar Nasarawa, G.G.S.S Dukawuya, G.S.S Goron Dutse, G.G.S.S Chiranchi and Chiranchi Primary School. 

We requested for shops’ construction – SBMC, PTA 

Chairman of SBMC at G.S.S Stadium, Alhaji Muhammad Lawal, said for over six years they have written several letters of complaints to the state government over stressed infrastructure and insecurity with activities of miscreants who have been stealing and vandalising property of the school and dangers of their activities. 

“Succor came our way with the initiative of the public private partnership that has led to construction of one block of seven classrooms, construction of perimeter fence, construction of one block of 15 toilets, renovation of laboratory and repair of leaking roof in some classrooms,” Muhammad said. 

He noted that all these have been completed except for the renovation of the laboratory which is ongoing. 

Also, Principal Director, G.G.S.S. Dabo (France Road), Hajiya Binta AbdulHamid, said the major challenges facing the school is security threat by drug addicts and miscreants from the Sabongari area of the metropolis where the school is situated. 

“Honestly, since the school does not have a fence, it makes it easy for the miscreants to walk into the school to steal and destroy our property. At times they break into offices through the ceiling. Hence in 2015 we had a joint meeting of PTAs of schools in Sabon Gari and laid our complaints to the governor. 

“We suggested the construction of shops by the fence of the schools which will provide security for us as shop owners will engage security personnel which will check activities of thieves and miscreants due to our proximity to Sabon Gari market. 

“The initiative of the public private partnership is of much benefit to us as it has led to construction of perimeter fence, two blocks of 10 toilets, renovation of classroom blocks and renovation and conversion of our admin block to entrepreneur centre and examination hall,” she said. 

Similarly, the principal, G.S.S Kwakwachi, Malam Auwalu Ado, said the school that was established in 1983 has never witnessed any renovation that led to dilapidated classroom structures and roofs. He said the fence of the school gave way long ago due to a very large pond beside the premises that led to flooding and the place was also turned to refuse dump. 

“The collapse of the perimeter fence exposed us to serious security threats from miscreants who mostly invade the school to steal the roofing sheets, windows and doors with several other properties,” he said. 

Ado said the school SBMC, PTA and management have been writing letters of complaints since 2007 and calling for this renovation. He said they later approached KNUPDA on the renovation and surprisingly the authority is presently carrying out renovation of classroom blocks and construction of perimeter fence. 

Similarly,  SBMC chairman, G.S.S Kofar Nasarawa, Malam Habibu Dauda Yakasai, while appreciating the initiative said KNUPDA has renovated five blocks of six classrooms, constructed six student toilets and two staff toilets to address the issue of open defecation. 

On his part, KNUPDA’s director of architecture, who doubles as the chairman, Schools Renovation Committee, Arch. Salisu Bello, said the first phase of the renovation is almost 90 per cent completed and the second phase with 12 other schools as beneficiaries,  will commence soon. 

Salisu said the renovations are implemented with the consent  of the schools’ authorities so as to ensure that work done is in line with approved specification.