‘One-day principal’ seeks launch of kidnapped schoolchildren

One-day principal of the Anglican Comprehensive High School, Ipaja, Lagos, Ndieze Chibueze, has called on the Federal Government to swiftly secure the release of kidnapped schoolchildren.

Chibueze, a student of the school, was named one-day principal for his outstanding achievement of earning six distinctions out of seven subjects in the recent Cambridge O-Level Examinations.

Over 280 schoolchildren and teachers of Government Secondary School and LEA primary school at Kuriga, Kaduna State, were abducted by bandits last Thursday, triggering national outrage.

Two days later, 15 Islamic education pupils and a woman were abducted in Gidan Bakuso, a village in the Gada Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

A statement on Tuesday noted that Chibueze, while addressing journalists after serving his ceremonial principal duties on Monday, thanked the school authorities for the recognition, stating that the experience has exposed him to leadership traits that will positively shape his future endeavours.

However, Chibueze also used the platform to condemn the recent spate of school abductions across the country, particularly in Kaduna and Borno states.

He said, “While it is important to commend the efforts of both the federal and state governments in tackling issues of insecurity in the country, it is equally important to say that all security agencies in the country must be adequately prepared to proactively deal with future occurrences.”

Chibueze expressed confidence in the ability of the current Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, an alumnus of the school, to uphold its ethos and principles in addressing the security challenges.

“It is also a delight to note that Nigeria’s current Inspector General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, is an alumnus of this great school, and I have no doubt that he will live up to the ethos and principles of the school,” he said.

The one-day principal event, witnessed by parents, staff, and the entire student body, marked the beginning of the school’s 51st year of existence.

The school principal, Joseph Adedeji, described the programme as designed to “celebrate and promote academic excellence amongst the students on one hand, and also, more importantly, to inculcate leadership skills in the students and prepare them for future endeavours.”

Adedeji echoed Chibueze’s concerns over the recent abductions, calling on security agencies to collaborate effectively and fulfil their responsibility to protect lives and property.