03-02-2021, 09:46 AM
Quote:The Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, on Monday, said the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), and his regime had done “everything possible” to ensure safe schools in the country.
Sirika made the claim in an interview with State House correspondents after a meeting he had with Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The claim came at a time the nation is witnessing an increase in the number of cases of abductions in schools with the latest being the 317 students abducted from Government Girls Secondary School, Jangebe, Zamfara State last Thursday.
But Sirika boasted that the Zamfara case will be the last case of attacks on schools that will be recorded under Buhari.
Although he admitted that some people who do not mean well for the regime may want to embarrass the government with more attacks on schools, the minister said Buhari has done everything possible to forestall such.
He cited a “rejigged national architecture” as part of the strategies put in place by Buhari and his regime to forestall further attack on schools.
The minister said, “On the fear that those who do not mean well for the country can try to do it (attack schools) to embarrass government, because government said that attack will be the last by the grace of God; it is a possibility.
“But Mr President and the government have done everything possible to ensure safe schools.
“The government has recently rejigged the national security architecture and it is an ongoing exercise.
“Everything that is possible to stop this, government is putting it in place, and by the special grace of God, it should be the last this country will see.
“Yes, there may be a possibility that some people will try to do it to embarrass government, but government has the resources to continue to give the best in terms of security in this country.
“We think and we hope, but especially by the grace of God, that this will be the last that we will see in this country.”
Sirika added that apart from improved intelligence gathering, the government is also working on the supply of equipment and weapons as well as training and retraining of security personnel.
“Everything that is humanly possible by any government to put in place, to ensure security of lives and property, is being put together to ensure that this doesn’t happen.
“Like I said, it is an ongoing thing and government is committed to it and will continue to do so,” he added.
Asked what gives him the impression that the government can make Nigeria safe for all, Sirika cited the reduction of activities of the Boko Haram sect as proof.
He recalled that before now, members of the sect were bombing places like Abuja and mosques in Kano.
He said such situation had become a thing of the past.
“Don’t forget, the present President could be a civilian President, but he is a true Commander-in-Chief and he had been there before and he is doing his best.
“I am sure if you will do justice to this government, you will say it has done much better than it was before,” he said.
Source: https://punchng.com/buhari-has-done-everything-possible-to-ensure-safe-schools-sirika/