The Ogun government said it had beefed up security around public schools in the state to prevent the mass abduction of schoolchildren.

Governor Dapo Abiodun revealed this on Wednesday in Abeokuta when he received the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education, led by its Chairman, Julius Ihonvbere.

Mr Abiodun described the measure as a proactive step in the light of the recent abduction of students in the North.

“As a responsible government, we have approved the employment of security men in all our schools. We do not want to be reactive on the issue of security in our schools.

“We want to ensure that our children and teachers are safe while in school,” the governor disclosed.

He also announced plans to rehabilitate 600 schools across the state before the end of his first term in office.

Earlier in his remarks, Mr Ihonvbere urged the governor to construct a perimeter fence, provide water, and rehabilitate dilapidated schools in the state.

Meanwhile, he noted that the federal government had spent about N375 billion on basic education in the last 10 years.

He added that the committee was in the state on an oversight visit to assess what it had achieved with UBEC grants.

The chairman explained that basic education was going through some turbulent times in some parts of the country due to bandits and kidnappers’ activities.

He, however, hailed the state for emphasising quality, functional and technology-driven education.

Mr Ihonvbere also lauded Ogun for paying its 2018, 2019, and 2020 counterpart fund, noting that the state still has about N2.7 billion to access from the commission.

(NAN)