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By Lukman Olabiyi
A non governmental organisation (NGO), Human Rights Monitoring Agenda (HURMA), has appealed to Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to consider the plight of students and parents of Chrisland School, Ikeja, over the continuous closure of the school.
The school has been under lock and key since February 10, 2023, due to the unfortunate incident which occurred during the annual inter house-sport event of the school at the Agege stadium, where one of the students, Whitney Adeniran, died.
The Executive Director of HURMA, Buna Olaitan Isiak, at a press conference, said reopening the school had become necessary after the group received a public interest petition, regarding the plight of students and parents of the school.
He said: “Based on the petition, we saw reason, logic and justification in making this call, especially as regards the closure of the school without minding the future of the innocent students. Subsequently, we undertook some daunting tasks to know the remote and immediate causes of such unfortunate incidents, and what we found out as facts were more than revealing that the government has not been too fair to the students.
“The continued closure of the school and the students being kept at home is against Section 14 (1) & (2) of the Child Right Law of Lagos State, which states, thus: (1) Every child has the right to free, compulsory and universal basic education, and it is the duty of the Lagos State Government to provide such comprehensive education. (2) Every parent or guardian must ensure that his or her child or wards attends and completes basic school education. Therefore, it is the duty of Lagos State government to direct her policy in a way that will encourage and promote the right of every child in the state to education. To this end, the continued closure of the school by Lagos State government amounts to an infraction or breach of its own law,” he said.
Isiak, however, commended the state government for its prompt response to the incident. We appreciate the government’s effort, so far, in dousing the onslaught and calming the strained nerves which enabled various concerned parties to shield their swords and allow Whitney to be laid to rest peacefully,” the group stated.
HURMA also commiserated with the parents of late Whitney Adeniran and prayed that God would give them the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss of a wonderful child who was one of the leading lights in the school.
