Speak up on sexual, physical violence, Lagos govt tells students

THE Lagos State government has advised students in the state to report (and not hide) any case of sexual or physical violence against them, their friends or mates anywhere in the state.

It also urged them to always say no to examination malpractice, drug abuse, hooliganism, cultism and other social vices.

The permanent secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Education, Mrs Adebunmi Adekanye, gave the advice in her keynote address to commemorate this year’s Commonwealth Day celebration held at Alausa Secretariat, on Monday.

She said students should report violence cases by calling X6820# on their cell phones. Doing so, she said, is not only their responsibility to the country and humanity, but also a way to tackle the menace and prevent their recurrence in the society.

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According to her, building a connected commonwealth starts with ensuring that everyone – young and old – enjoys peace of mind and also does what is acceptable and lawful in the society.

Speaking on the theme of the event, ‘A Connected Commonwealth’, Mrs Adekanye said setting aside a day to commemorate formation of Commonwealth –an association of former British colonies – provides great opportunity for individuals, communities, organisations and governments to share commonwealth values of peace, unity, democracy and equality.

And this effort, she added, would also go a long way in building bridges of mutual understanding among the 53 Commonwealth member countries and their nationals.

While advising students to stay connected with their friends, mates and neighbours and also think about how to become agents of positive change, she commended those among them who showcased competitive cultural values of various commonwealth countries for what she called their impressive performance.

The director of co-curricular, Mrs Omobola Babs-Akinyeye, on her part, said the state government always uses Commonwealth Day celebration to discover hidden talents of students and develop the existing ones, and urged them to also give their studies deserved attention.

She said this year’s edition is geared towards the promotion of love, unity and peace among people irrespective of their nationalities around the world.

She congratulated the best three teams from Education District I, Agege; IV, Yaba and III, Falomo who came first, second and third in the competition, with each receiving prizes according to their positions.