No ransom paid for 137 Kaduna pupils, says FG
• To conduct census of Nigerian schools • Senate, SDP chieftain laud Tinubu, military, others for successful operation
THE Federal Government has declared that no ransom was paid for release of the 137 pupils kidnapped from Kuriga, Chikun Local Council of Kaduna State.
It also stated plans to conduct a census of all schools in the country.
Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, made the disclosures yesterday in Abuja while opening a twoday capacity building workshop for desk/ liaison officers of the Federal Ministry of Education, departments, parastatals, tertiary institutions and Federal Government Colleges on implementation of the ministerial deliverables and roadmap for the education sector.
“We wanted our children back. No ransom was paid for their release,” he stated. The minister lauded the security agencies, Office of the National Security Adviser ( ONSA) and Kaduna State government for ensuring safe return of the children after 18 days in captivity .
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, reaffirmed the non- payment of fee for the school children’s freedom.
He spoke with reporters after the Federal Executive Council ( FEC) meeting in Abuja.
The military has since handed over the pupils to Governor Uba Sani.
General Officer Commanding 1 Division of the Nigerian Army/ Force Commander Operation WHIRL PUNCH, Major General Mayirenso Saraso, did the presentation at a brief ceremony in Government House, Kaduna at about 2.08pm yesterday.
He revealed that six out of the 137 kids were receiving medical attention at a military facility.
Regarding the proposed census, Mamman clarified that the data would be collected through a Public Private Partnership ( PPP) to be signed early next month for the government to know the level of infrastructure, teacher- student and boy- to- girl ratios.
He noted that the exercise would equally assist the government in identifying trends and patterns to make informed decisions.
The minister added that the census would track progress of students with a view to assessing the effectiveness of the education system.
Mamman stated that the era of international organisations and development partners lamenting lack of data from Nigeria and supplying theirs was gone.
Admitting though that data collection could be daunting, he added that it was surmountable.
In his remarks, Minister of State for Education, Dr. Yusuf Sununu, said the training would upskill and enhance capacity of participants to qualitatively track, collect, collate, harmonise and report the activities, programmes and projects in their various departments and organisations.