Saudi Arabia Sets For This Year’s Hajj, Deploys Fourteen Thousand Security Officers For Crowd Control

 Saudi Arabia sets for this year’s hajj, deploys fourteen thousand security officers for crowd control

 Saudi Arabia’s security agencies involved in Hajj operations have performed drills showing their preparedness ahead of the commencement of this year’s exercise in Makkah on Wednesday.

The parades and drills were conducted by Hajj security forces, emergency Special Forces, special security forces, Civil Status, Public Security, Civil Defense, Passports Department and the Mujahideen.

Others include the police, Traffic Department, security patrols and Criminal Investigations Department.

They were inspected by the Minister of Interior and Chairman of the Supreme Hajj Committee Prince Ahmad Bin Abdul Aziz.

Meanwhile, at least fourteen thousand security officers have been deployed for crowd control during the annual pilgrimage.

The Director of Crowd Management, Colonel Mishal Al-Adwani said the officers have been assigned to prevent pilgrims from putting up their mattresses and baggage on the streets and sleeping in the ritual sites.

He noted that all officers have been provided with extensive field training and skills on how to deal with the problem and to ensure that the flow of pilgrims’ traffic is smooth.

“Let me tell you the things that will happen very soon.  Those of you who are in government schools that are not up to standard we are trying to raise our government schools to the standard that we require…  When we get to that standard, we will in the next few months set up the Agency for Quality Assurance.  If you don’t meet the standard, whether you are government school or private school you will be closed down”.

“All primary schools must have Information Communication Technology (ICT) including the ones that belong to the Rivers State Government.  We believe that the same thing should apply to the secondary schools”.

From next year, the Rivers State Government would make the state government’s free education policy compulsory to all children of school age in the state.

Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi disclosed this at the weekend during the closing ceremony of the Garden City Literary Festival at the Banquet Hall of Hotel Presidential in Port Harcourt.

According to Governor Amaechi, parents would be required by law to send their children and wards to both the state government new model primary and secondary schools and other government primary and secondary schools that would be renovated and made to meet required standards.

“We are about to send to the State Assembly a bill that says it is a crime not to send your children to school… The reason is when you say education is free and compulsory, parents don’t take it seriously until you say they will go to jail if they don't send their children and wards to school."

“We would not collect fees so it becomes criminal if you don’t send your children to school.  From next year we would criminalize those who don’t take their children or wards to school because we will try everything possible to ensure that we provide infrastructure and facilities that will back our free education”, he promised.

Governor Amaechi further said his administration would set up an Agency for Quality Assurance to ensure primary and secondary schools in the state would meet expected standards.

“Let me tell you the things that will happen very soon.  Those of you who are in government schools that are not up to standard we are trying to raise our government schools to the standard that we require…  When we get to that standard, we will in the next few months set up the Agency for Quality Assurance.  If you don’t meet the standard, whether you are government school or private school you will be closed down”.

“All primary schools must have Information Communication Technology (ICT) including the ones that belong to the Rivers State Government.  We believe that the same thing should apply to the secondary schools”.

Governor Amaechi later at the event presented certificate prizes to top three winners of the essay competition for the Garden City Literary Festival.