The Adamawa State Governor, on Friday, denied ordering the closure of boarding schools in the state, six days after the Commissioner for Education and Human Development, Umar Pella, announced the closure.
In a statement issued on Friday by his Chief Press Secretary, Humwashi Wonosikou, the governor denied ever directing anyone to shut down schools.
“The attention of the Adamawa State Government has been drawn to misleading information circulating in some quarters that the state government has ordered schools to be shut down.
“We want to categorically state that this information is false and baseless.
“At no point did the government direct schools to close, and we have no intention to do so. This malicious rumour is the work of mischief-makers who are bent on tarnishing the image of the government and disrupting public peace,” the statement read.
Fintiri described the reports as unfounded and urged the public to disregard them, saying, “Schools should continue with their academic activities as usual.”
The governor also warned that the government would not hesitate to take decisive action against those spreading false information and causing tension in the state.
“We will not tolerate any attempt to undermine our efforts to reposition the education sector and improve the lives of our citizens,” he said.
He noted that his administration has made significant progress in improving the education sector and will continue working toward providing quality education to residents of the state.
He appealed to the public to ignore the false claims and support the government’s efforts toward building a better state.
“We warn those spreading false information to desist immediately or face the full weight of the law. We will not hesitate to take action against anyone found guilty of spreading malicious rumours,” he added.
He reassured the public that the government would continue working tirelessly to ensure Adamawa State becomes a hub of educational excellence.
The state government had, last Saturday, announced the closure of all public and private boarding schools in the state.
In a statement signed by the Education Commissioner, he stated that the decision by the governor to close the boarding schools was aimed at preventing a repeat of the abductions recorded in Niger and Kebbi states.
“Sequel to the security challenges that the country is facing at the moment, particularly with what happened to students in Niger and Kebbi states, it has been observed with great dismay that the target of the evil perpetrators is boarding secondary schools.
“Considering this ugly situation in the country, I am directed by His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Adamawa State, Hon. Ahmadu Fintiri, to deboard all boarding schools across the state, whether public or private.
“They should all operate as day schools for the moment. Therefore, by this directive, all principals and proprietors of public and private schools should deboard their respective boarding schools without further delay,” the statement read.
Last Sunday, gunmen attacked Government Comprehensive Girls’ Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State, and abducted 25 students.
In a similar incident, gunmen stormed St. Mary’s Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Niger State, and abducted about 300 pupils, including some staff members.
On April 14, 2014, gunmen attacked Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok, and kidnapped over 276 students, mostly Christians.
In February 2018, Dapchi Girls’ Secondary School in Yobe State was attacked, and 110 girls were abducted. Leah Sharibu, a Christian student, remains in captivity to date.
However, it remains unclear why it took the Adamawa State Government one week to respond to the statement earlier issued by the commissioner.
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