BY ANTHONY OCHELA, ABUJA
The National Human Rights Commission has urged stakeholders to work together to ensure that every child in Nigeria can learn in a safety and dignity, free from fear, and with the full assurance that thier right to education will be upheld.
The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Dr. Tony Ojukwu (SAN) made the call on Wednesday at an expert meeting on the draft legislation on “Safe School Declaration (SSD) held in Abuja.
In his welcome remarks, Dr. Ojukwu noted that “education is the bedrock of any nation and is the foundation upon which the aspirations of individuals and the progress of society are built.”
Dr. Ojukwu regretted that in recent years, the nation has witnessed what he described as the “the tragic and devastating impact of incessant attacks on our schools, attacks that have not only disrupted the education of countless young Nigerians but have also instilled fear in our communities and undermined our collective future and the fundamental human rights of our children.”
He recalled that in response to the alarming trend, Nigeria made a historic commitment by signing the Safe Schools Declaration in 2019 affirming its dedication to protecting education from attacks even in times of conflicts.
He, however, said signing the declaration is only the first step as the true test of its commitment lies in its ability to translate the promises into actionable, legally binding measures adding that this is why the day’s validation event is critical.
The Boss of the NHRC said “the development of a robust legal framework for the SSD is the result of extensive research and consultations in partnership with the Women Advocates, Research and Documentation Center (WARDC) and the invaluable support of the United Nations Democracy Fund(UNDEF).
According to Dr. Ojukwu, the draft bill among others encompasses several key elements including “establishment of a National Safe School and Security Coordinating Council, establishment of School Safety Committees, Emergency Response Plans and Security Measures, Prohibition of Military Use of Schools, prohibition of attacks on schools, Victim Support Measures and appropriate penalties for offenders.”
He said as stakeholders their review and feedback on the draft bill and their expertise and contributions will help refine it, noting that behind every Statistics of an attack on a school their are dreams shattered.
