Nigerian Leaders Have Failed To Live Up To Their Commitments ― SERAP

Kolawole Oluwadare, The Deputy Director of Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has come out to blast the Federal Government for failing with the security of the nation.

He recently revealed this in reaction to the recent kidnap of about 42 students and staff of Government Science Secondary School, Kagara, Niger State.

According to him, the Federal Government should do everything possible to rescue the students asap, else they will be held accountable for any preventable tragedy.

He added that the kids and their teachers must be released safely, and FG should probe the public funds budgeted for the Safe School Initiative in 2014, because nothing has changed despite the provision.

“Nigerian authorities must locate and ensure the safe release of many students and teachers reportedly abducted by armed men who attacked the Government Science College Kagara, Niger State. We’ll hold the Federal Government to account if the students are not urgently rescued.”

“The abductors must be arrested and brought to justice. Victims must be granted access to justice.”

“The incident, which started at about 2:00am on Wednesday, suggests that Nigerian authorities are failing to live up to their commitments to provide safe a learning environment.”

“Some teachers and family members were also reportedly abducted by the gunmen. The operations started from the staff quarters and ended in the students’ hostels, and in the process, one student was reportedly killed while others were wounded.”

“The gunmen reportedly gathered some staff and students at a place for hours before moving them out of the school premises to an unknown destination. They wore military uniform and entered the school premises, which has about 1000 students, and overpowered the security guard.”

“Nigerian authorities must probe the reported spending of N3.2bn on Safe School Initiative in 2014, and publish details of spending to date on the Initiative. Public funds budgeted for the Initiative have clearly not achieved a safe school environment for children in the country.”

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Muhammadu Buhari GCFR (born 17 December 1942) is a Nigerian politician currently serving as the President of Nigeria, in office since 2015. He is a retired major general in the Nigerian Army and previously served as the nation’s head of state from 31 December 1983 to 27 August 1985, after taking power in a military coup d’état. The term Buharism is ascribed to the Buhari military government.

He unsuccessfully ran for the office of president of Nigeria in the 2003, 2007, and 2011 general elections. In December 2014, he emerged as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress for the March 2015 general elections. Buhari won the election, defeating the incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan. This marked the first time in the history of Nigeria that an incumbent president lost to an opposition candidate in a general election. He was sworn in on 29 May 2015. In February 2019, Buhari was re-elected President, defeating his closest rival Atiku Abubakar by over 3 million votes.

Buhari has stated that he takes responsibility for anything over which he presided during his military rule, and that he cannot change the past. He has described himself as a “converted democrat”.

Muhammadu Buhari was born to a Fulani family on 17 December 1942, in Daura, Katsina State, to his father Hardo Adamu, a Fulani chief, and mother Zulaihat. He is the twenty-third child of his father. Buhari was raised by his mother, after his father died when he was about four years old.