With concerns over the recent multiple suicide bombings in Gwoza, parents of students at Federal Government Girls’ College, FGC Potiskum, in Yobe State, are urging the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, to intervene in a power supply dispute that has left the school in darkness for months.
The Yola Electricity Distribution Company, YEDC, cut off the power supply due to an alleged unpaid debt, but the school management disputes the amount owed.
The school, which has been hosting students from Federal Government College, FGC Buni-Yadi, since 2014, following a devastating Boko Haran terrorist attack, is now plagued by darkness, raising concerns about the safety of the students.
The parents, who spoke anonymously to PRNigeria, fear that the power outage could make the school vulnerable to terrorist attacks, which have ravaged the region in the past and the resurgence of suicide bombings.
The parents’ concerns are not unfounded, given the history of terrorist attacks in the region. In 2014, a terrorist attack on Federal Government College, Buni-Yadi, resulted in the deaths of 59 students and the destruction of 24 buildings. The students were subsequently relocated to Federal Government Girls’ College, Potiskum.
“We understand that the school may owe some debt, but cutting off the power supply for months is not the solution. Potiskum is still a terrorism-infested zone, and we cannot afford to take any risks. We urge the YEDC to restore power to the school immediately,” one parent said.
Another parent added, “We appeal to the NSA to intervene in this matter. The school’s security is at risk, and we cannot expose our children to danger. We need the power restored, and we need it now.”
PRNigeria’s efforts to contact the Principal of the Girls’ College, Halima Sule Bello, for a comment on the issue were unsuccessful, as her phone was unreachable.
PRNigeria
