The Federal Government will no longer tolerate bullying in the nation’s schools to eliminate its effects on the victims.
The Minister of State for Education, Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, who made the declaration, maintained that the damage the act does to the mental, social and psychological wellbeing of victims called for concern.
Hon. Nwajiuba stated this in Abuja at a training of over 100 young boys and girls on anti-bullying, organised by ‘I AM THE FUTURE OF NIGERIA YOUTH INITIATIVE’, a non-profit organisation in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Federal Capital Territory Authority, Nigeria Police Force and the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).
The Minister said that bullying was capable of stopping children from being productive and responsible members of the society, hence, the need to urgently address the ugly phenomenon in the nation’s secondary schools.
According to the Minister, it was the responsibility of the society to ensure that “We bring up children who know that every other child is very important.
‘The wellbeing of every child is our concern.”
Speaking further, Hon. Nwajiuba said it was the duty of the government to ensure that Nigerian children find their school environments conducive for learning and other beneficial activities.
In their remarks, founders of the Initiative, 20-year-old Renee and 15-year-old Zara Okocha, also known as the Okocha Sisters, said that the training was necessitated by their drive to kick illiteracy and bullying out of the nation by creating safe learning environments for students.
According to them, the ‘Kick Out Bullying in our Schools’ program was a great example of young people’s voices and how they can initiate anti bullying programs to make a huge difference on individuals, schools and communities in the country.
They disclosed that the anti-bullying programme was developed to teach Nigerian children to respect others as well as ensure that kindness and quality education continue to grow and develop in all schools in the country.
Renee and Zara are also using football shoot out as a tool to curb it.
There was a football shoot out moment where adults and children all kicked a ball through a hole to kick out bullying.
The Okocha Sisters, who stated that they were young authors of over 20 school children books for first readers, said they aimed to be as good in academics as their uncle (JayJay Okocha) was in football.
