PUSH NEWS 24 INTERNATIONAL : December, 8th, 2021
DOWEN COLLEGE ASSAULT : LAGOS STATE GOVERNMENT CULPABLE – DIASPORANS
The alarming trends of bullying and attacks on other students by student-cultists in private schools in recent times have led to the maiming and in most cases death of several innocent students in the hands of their fellow students, teachers or school guards who raped, sexually abused and inflicted other sundry bestialities on students.
Nigerians-in-Diaspora under the eagis of Nigeria Diasporans Project Committee (NDPC), a non governmental pressure group promoting the good image of Nigerians abroad have called out the Lagos State Government as been negligent in the effective monitoring and inspections of A- list private schools due to their “assumed” status.
Stating their position in a release on Tuesday over the death of DOWEN College student, the Team Lead of NDPC, Prince Olalekan Ojo Martins says
“NDPC is aware of reports of the death of a Dowen College pupil in Lagos State by fellow school mates allegedly in a cult related manner”
“No child should go through what children are going through now in Nigeria. Education should not be a matter of life and death for anyone. Nigeria and Lagos State is failing the children once again in a horrifying manner”
” The State apparatus via the Ministry of Education have erred in their duties to effectively monitor the so-called A-list schools which have now become danger zones”
“NDPC condemns in the strongest possible terms any attack or bullying in our schools and calls for the immediate sanctioning of both the pupils, parents of the suspects, school authorities and government officials who were negligent.”
“The American Academy of Paediatrics defines a ‘healthful school environment’ as one that protects students and staff against immediate injury or disease and promotes prevention activities and attitudes against known risk factors that might lead to future disease , disability or death”.
Push News 24 International reports that following the death of Sylvester Oromoni Jnr, a 12-year-old student of Dowen College, a high flyer private school in Lekki, Lagos, stakeholders, including parents, students and the government have raised concern over the safety and well-being of students in the care of school owners and management of private schools.
They, however, described the death of the student as a result of bullying and torture in the hands of some student-cultists as a ‘threat to the collective peace and safety of innocent students in some schools.
The deceased student, Sylvester Oromoni Jnr allegedly died from internal injuries inflicted on him by some student-cultists, who were said to have tortured and beaten him for refusing to join their cult group.
The PRO of the group, Engr. Aina Badejo in her own submission said “NDPC is deeply concerned about these reported acts of violence in schools which are a violation of children’s rights. Children should feel safe at home and at school at all times – and parents should not need to worry for the safety of their children when they send them off to school.”
“A healthy school environment (physical, biological and socio-cultural) serves as a major determinant of health and greatly influences the individual’s level of intellectual growth and development, where a State apparatus fails to play her roles, then some persons need to be sanctioned” Badejo added.
The chattered PR Practitioner finally advise Lagos State government to ensure a Safeful School Environment and make all the conscious efforts to organized, plan and execute actions that will ensure the safety and healthy living conditions for all members of the school community.
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