President Muhammadu Buhari has commissioned the newly remodeled Chibok Government Girls Secondary school in Borno state, seven years after it was attacked by Boko Haram insurgents.
The new school is now called ‘Government Secondary School’ and is mixed with Boys and Girls.
Buhari, who was represented by the Minister of Women Affairs, Pauline Tallen, said she was in the state to bring the goodwill message of President Buhari to the people of Borno, especially those in Chibok.
Recall that on April 14, 2014, about 276 school girls, mostly Christians, were abducted and taken into Sambisa forest by the dreaded Boko Haram sect, who also destroyed the school buildings.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan had through his Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo Iweala, visited Chibok in March 2015, where she laid a foundation for rebuilding the school.
The project, which was afterwards taken over by the President Buhari and Governor Babagana Zulum’s administration, was completed this year and commissioned on Monday.
Speaking at the commissioning, Tallen said the government is committed to providing quality education, particularly to the down trodden, improving the girl-child education and determined to root out insurgency in the North-East region and the country as a whole to enable citizens’ return to normal life.
She said; “We sympathize with the Chibok community. We know what you are going through. But I want to assure you that we are working day and night to make sure that life returns to normal both in your community and all others affected by terrorism.
“I want to appeal to Chibok leaders and the community to continue give their maximum support to the present administration under the leadership of Governor Babagana Umara Zulum who is ever willing to give girl child education the desire it needs.”
Governor Babagana Umara Zulum the chief host, thanked the president for his support and cooperation with the state Government in securing the necessary funds used for the completion of all the destroyed structures, and pledged his administration’s commitment to uplifting the education sector in the state.
He said; “The reconstructed Chibok school have a state of the art classrooms, library and laboratory, computer and ICT Center, a sports arena and a clinic.
“For security, it has a gate house and observation post to be manned by well-equipped security agents.
“This administration promised to rebuild the Government Secondary School in Chibok which was destroyed by terrorists. Today, I am glad that we are all witnessing the official commissioning of the completed befitting projects.
“We want our students to go back to school. We want them to get the education they need to live a decent life. We will support them and we will do everything we can to support their parents and the entire community.
“We will also not forget the Chibok girls. We are working hard to ensure that they return home. As a father, I can feel the pain of the parents. What happened was tragic. But I want you to know that this administration cares. We will not abandon our children. We are with you.”