Wike Fires FCTA Education Secretary , Others
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) under the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has debunked reports claiming that all public schools in the FCT had been ordered to shut down, describing the announcement as false, misleading, and unauthorised.
In a statement issued by the Senior Special Adviser on Public Communications and Social Media to the FCT Minister, Lere Olayinka, the administration confirmed that the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, has directed the immediate suspension of the Mandate Secretary for Education, Danlami Hayyo.
The decision followed the circulation of an official memo announcing the closure of schools — an action the FCTA says did not receive ministerial approval.
According to Olayinka, the Acting Head of Service, Mrs Nancy Sabanti Nathan, has also been instructed to take disciplinary action against the Director of School Services, Mrs Aishatu Sani Alhassan, who issued the circular in violation of civil service rules.
The FCTA condemned the misinformation, urging parents, students, school administrators, and the general public to disregard the rumoured shutdown, stressing that the approved academic calendar remains intact and that no directive for school closure was issued.
The statement read, “The Acting Head of Service, Mrs Nancy Sabanti Nathan, has also been mandated to discipline the Director, School Services, Mrs Aishatu Sani Alhassan, in accordance with the civil service rules.
“Describing the report on early closure of schools as false and misleading, the administration urged parents, students, and school authorities to dismiss the rumour, stressing that the approved academic calendar remained unchanged.
“The FCTA also assured residents of the FCT, especially students of adequate security, adding that the Minister has directed the resumption of Operation Sweep and other security initiatives in the federal capital.”
There have recently been a wave of terrorists abductions in schools in northern Nigeria – particularly Kebbi and Niger states. This has prompted several states to shit down schools in precaution against terrorist attacks and abduction in their schools.
It was reported on Tuesday that President Bola Tinubu officially welcomed the release of 24 schoolgirls abducted by terrorists in Maga, Kebbi State, last Monday, and called on security agencies to intensify efforts to rescue others still in captivity.
The girls were taken from their school at dawn on November 17, shortly after a military detachment left the premises.
The attack in Kebbi sparked a wave of copycat kidnappings in Eruku, Kwara State, and Papiri, Niger State.
This was contained in a statement released on Tuesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
