We’ll No Longer Tolerate Bullying in Schools, Minister Warns

For the maintenance of the mental, social and psychological well-being of students, the Minister of State for Education, Dr. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, has said the federal government would no longer tolerate bullying in the nation’s schools, maintaining that the damage the act does calls for concern.

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, the Federal Capital Territory Authority, the Nigeria Police Force and the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).

Nwajiuba said 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.

“It is the responsibility of the entire society to ensure that we bring up children who know that every other child is very important. The well-being of every child is our concern,” the minister noted.

He added that the ministry along with the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, has the responsibility to ensure that Nigerian children find their school environments conducive for learning and other beneficial activities.

In their remarks, founders of the Initiative, 15- and 20-yearold Renee and Zara Okocha, also known as the Okocha sisters, said 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” programme was a great example of young people’s voices and how they can initiate anti-bullying programmes 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 Nigeria.