AFRODEP Executive Director Urges Stakeholders To Make Learning Environment Violent-Free

By Magnus Emuji

Stakeholders in the society have been urged to contribute their quota towards ensuring that school environment is free from violent activities to achieve effective teaching and learning.

The Delta State Executive Director of Afro Centre for Development, Peace and Justice (AFRODEP), Augusta Impact Keneboh made the call during Safe School Declaration implementation programme at Ossissa Secondary school and Owessei Primary School both in Ndokwa East and Ndokwa West Local Government Areas of the state.

Keneboh , who advised parents, teachers and government at all levels to ensure that they prioritised the educational needs of the children, said that it was the right of a child to have access to conducive learning environment just as she emphasising that the rights of a child must be protected.

She described violence as an intentional use of physical force , power and threats against an individual, group of persons and community which could result in injury or death of an individual.

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Keneboh, who said that the safe school declaration programme was being supported by the Development Research and Project Centre (DRPC) and Forɗ Foundation, enjoined children to always report any threats and actions that could lead to dehumanising them.

She urged stakeholders to intensify efforts towards protecting school facilities from being destroyed by miscreants, adding that schools should be properly fenced so as to checkmate insecurity in schools.

The AFRODEP Executive Director said that sexual violence such as rape should be tackled head on and culprits brought to book in order to serve as a deterrent to others, infomed importance of communicating with signs when the need arose.

In their separate remarks, some stakeholders who spoke including the Head of Personnel Management (HPM) of Ndokwa West Local Government Area, Mr. Dennis Ogbolu , the Education Secretary of Ndokwa West Local Government Area, Rtn Comr. Alexander Osademe , the chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) Ndokwa West chapter, Mr . Enerst Enuma and the Principal of Ossissa Secondary school, Mr. Philip Obuyie as well as the Head teacher of Owessei Primary School, Utagba-Ogbe, Benedicta Adeshina said that security of the children was the business of everyone.

They advised children to be very conscious of their environment for their safety interests , adding that whenever they were in problem they should report to their parents and teachers .