….Calls for a public hearing into cases of bullying in schools by ministry of education
By Ugochukwu Osondu
ABUJA – The Executive Secretary of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Dr. Tony Ojukwu OFR, SAN, has decried the disturbing video of the brutal bullying of Namtira Bwala, a female student of Lead British International School, Gwarinpa Abuja.
Ojukwu who expressed shocked by the physical abuse meted out by a student to a fellow student, noted that “bullying has become common in schools and if not checked will discourage some students from attending schools, with its antecedent consequencies, the statement signed by the Director, Corporate Affairs and External Linkages, Obinna Nwakonye said.
He therefore charged the Ministry of Education to conduct investigative and public hearing into cases of bullying in schools with a view to dealing holistically with this menace and proffering solutions to prevent continuation where it exists and prevent re-occurrence in the near future.
Precise Post recalls that in a video making rounds on social media, Namtira Bwala, a female student of Lead British International School, Gwarinpa Abuja was repeatedly slaped by fellow students over her refusal to answer inappropriate questions from school relationship.
According to the statement, the alarming incident which has attracted widespread condemnation across the country is a matter of concern that borders on cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, respect for the dignity of the human person as well as learning in a safe and protected environment.
“He cited Section 34 (1) of the Nigeria Constitution which provides that “every Nigerian individual is entitled to respect for the dignity of his person and accordingly (a) No person shall be subjected to torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment”.
“The Chief Human Rights Officer condemned this act and charged school proprietors to put measures in place to prevent re-occurrence of similar situations like this.
“Ojukwu also advised that CCTV cameras should be installed in appropriate places, as well as a whistleblower system to report bullying and inappropriate conduct in schools, while emphasizing that discipline should be strictly maintained to avoid bullying and abuse of such nature.
“He further called for thorough investigation to ascertain the root cause of this dastardly act in the name of seniority, he said the protection of students across board by school management should be made paramount to ensure that this never happens again.
