The Federal Government on Saturday assured Nigerians that the 106 Chibok girls, who were released by the Boko Haram insurgents, would resume school in September 2017.
The Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Jummai Alhassan, stated this during a special lunch organised for the girls and their parents in Abuja.
She said the girls were billed to be enrolled in schools because the rehabilitation and reintegration programmes organised for them would be concluded in September.
Freed Chibok girls speak: Boko Haram holding many other girls, Sambisa full of sorrow
She said the Chibok girls had been rehabilitated and were ready to return to pursue academic activities.
However, Alhassan said the Federal Government would keep all the 106 girls in one institution in the North- East.
According to her, the Federal Government has initiated discussions with the American University of Nigeria, Yola, to admit the girls into its foundation programme.
She stated further that the management of AUN had earlier indicated interest in supporting the education of 21 girls released in October, 2016 but that the idea was put on hold when 82 other girls were released this year.
The minister stated further that the government was disposed to keeping all the 106 Chibok girls in AUN because it had the foundation programme required to prepare the girls for further education.
She said, “When the 21 girls were released, the American University indicated interest in supporting the girls just like other development partners in the country.
“The UN is supporting the government in its rehabilitation programme. Other people too have indicated interest in the education of the girls.
“From the time the 21 girls came, some institutions indicated interest in supporting them in their education when they finish their rehabilitation programme. The programme is coming to an end and the girls are due for school in September.
“The American University is supporting government in respect of the 21 girls earlier released but we don’t want to give the girls different standards of education.
“The girls are already here together, all of them will go to the American university. No other university has the type of foundation programme being offered by the AUN; that is why we are insisting that all the girls should be admitted to the programme.”
The minister added that AUN had earlier given scholarship to 14 of the girls who escaped from the Boko Haram enclave, and were made to go through the foundation programme preparatory to the degree courses.
The Vice President, Administration, of the AUN, Mr. Reginald Briggs, said two of the 24 girls were in year two studying Computer Science and Journalism.
He added that two other girls had been given admission to study accounting, three were doing pre-medical degree programmes, while one of them was billed to study law.
(Punch)
