Politics
HUMAN Rights Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has described corporal punishments in schools as the infliction of physical torture just as the Rights group said torture of all forms are absolutely intolerable and prohibited by the constitution of the federal Republic of Nigeria.
“On no condition should Nigeria continue to tolerate the massive application and use of torture in private and public schools which have caused a lot of health hazards just as fatalities have occurred over the past many years and yet this inhumane and inhuman practices have continued to be applied by teachers in both our private and public schools.”
HURIWA spoke against the backdrop of reports that the Ogun State Government has suspended a teacher in the Obada Grammar School, Amzadjo Elijah, after a student of the school, Monday Arijo, allegedly died from complications of the punishment he was made to serve.
The suspension was disclosed in a statement shared on the state government’s X page on Sunday.
HURIWA recalled that Arijpo was said to have died after being hospitalised for ten days following his collapse when he was asked to perform 162 frog jumps and beaten 24 strokes of the cane.
The school principal was said to have ordered the punishment following Arijo’s comment that the school purchased a dustbin with the students’ money.
According to the statement, the principal of the school who had allegedly instructed the punishment has also been queried.
The statement read, “The Ogun State Government, through the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, has suspended a teacher alleged to have beaten and punished one Master Monday Arijo, an SS2 student of Obada Grammar School, Obada, Idi-emi, which reportedly led to his demise.
“The incident, which happened on Friday, also led to the immediate arrest of the teacher, as the Principal of the school, Mrs. Tamrat Onaolapo, was promptly queried for allowing corporal punishment to be used on the pupil against the established rules and regulations in the state.
“The principal was given 24 hours to explain her actions and why disciplinary actions should not be taken against her for acting against the instructions of constituted authority.”
The statement also noted that the government commiserated with the family of the deceased student while describing him as an exceptional learner.
“Subsequently, a letter of condolence was sent to the bereaved family, commiserating with them on the sudden death of their loving son and promising to get justice for the family.
“The letter, which was signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, described the late learner as an exceptional pupil who would be missed by his colleagues, the school, and the state at large.
“It then prayed for requisite strength for the family to bear the irreplaceable loss as well as for the repose of the departed soul,” the statement concluded.
Reacting to this ugly incident, the pro-democracy advocates: HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) said the continuous use of corporal punishments such as flogging and other ramifications of physical torture should be outlawed nationally even as state houses of Assemblies should domesticate such anti-torture and anti- corporal punishments legislation in their states to stave off this type of tragic incident from happening.
HURIWA particularly condemned Obada Grammar School incident in which a student Monday Arijo was tortured to death only for exercising his fundamental right to freedom of speech just as the Rights group through the media statement has urged the education authorities around the Country to workout human rights friendly administrative sanctions to be imposed on students/pupils accused of disobeying the school regulations instead of resorting to the use of physical torture on school children, a practice that is antithetical to the human rights provisions of chapter 4 of the constitution which prohibits the use of torture and specifies the respect to the dignity of the human person. HURIWA has advocated the prosecution of those involved in the death of the student in Ogun State.
A.I
Oct. 28, 2024
Tags: HURIWA Monday Arijo
