RIGHTS TO DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON AND RIGHTS OF CHILDREN IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN NIGERIA - By Emine Akpanukoh Esq.

Uchechukwu looked on disdainfully at the three poor and miserly looking pieces of yam barely stained with red oil served in the name of dinner and for the umpteenth time wondered what could have been as the tears filled his eyes. He couldn’t understand why his parents thought education in a boarding school was the best, when he could rather be home devouring the regular pounded yam and egusi soup his mommy usually prepared on weekends such as this. He didn’t feel like eating but he had to quickly gulp down the meal; he needed strength for the evening round of bullying he would enjoy from the very many good senior students available on parade here. He would take that in good spirits, Afterall tomorrow is the promised visiting day when his parents would visit with all the goodies, he had missed for one month since resuming in Contemporary Modern School as a JSS1 boarding student.

The Dee day is here, and he made sure he ate everything in sight. He started with the pounded yam and egusi his mom brought with assorted meats and fish, washed down with chivita juice. Thereafter he moved to the chocolates, meat pies and ice cream, all while his parents discussed his poor mathematics test score with the teache. He wasn’t really bothered about that now. He enjoyed everything apart from his father’s promise to beat the hell out of him if he failed his terminal exams. Knowing that this was a once in a month experience after which he would return to standard boarding house meals, Uche did not only eat his own food but everything else his friends offered him from their own parents. He couldn’t be bothered about the chemical situation of his stomach and that was a costly mistake.

At first, he found it hard to sleep, his stomach was very heavy, and he kept changing from side to side to manage the burning feeling radiating from his chest down to his stomach. Breathing and talking also proved strenuous endeavors. He realized he had eaten himself into trouble, but he kept smiling. Atleast he had eaten what he hadn’t tasted in a month. He didn’t know that the worst was yet to come. 

After managing a few hours of sleep, he awoke to the rumbling sounds in his stomach at about a few minutes past midnight. His eyes opened slowly to the tumultuous sounds but he quickly sat up as his “bumbum”  threatened to explode and prematurely empty its content onto his bed. He was afraid of the dark, so he made his way to Christopher his friend’s bed to beg his company to the toilet just behind the hostel. He called softly to him to avoid waking the seniors but increased the vigorous shaking as his stomach egged him on in urgency. At long last, he realized he would have to brave the darkness himself and made his way to the door slowly almost holding his bum with both his hands. He broke into a dash towards the toilet but could barely make it inside when all hell was let loose. He felt relieved and ashamed all at the same time. He cleaned himself up, changed his boxers and stashed the soiled one behind his locker. It was inconceivable to wait in the dark and clean up the mess he had caused to the toilet. That would prove an even more costly mistake. 

“All boys file out to the quadrangle in the next 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5…… ”; Uche knew the drill very well, he jumped up and rushed out, somebody had “committed”.

“Everybody lie down,  una pour shit for una papa toilet abi?”  “No senior”; cried the helpless junior students including Uche who knew owning up to the mess was only a death sentence. The seniors took turns in flogging the students on their bare backs as the culprit still refused to come forth. Uchechuwu could even be heard crying and raining powerful curses on whoever caused them such suffering. After the 3rd round of beatings, a very brilliant senior student came up with a wonderful idea, as he shared it with his friends, every junior on the floor took a break from crying to squirm at the thought of it. The punishment involved the washing of the excreta from the toilet floor onto a bucket, mixing it with water and having the students dip their faces in it for five seconds each. Slowly, the students lined up for the ritual and most had done so and were now moaning softly by the corner when a senior emerged from Uche’s room holding a badly soiled boxer on a long cane. It didn’t take so long for the boxer to be identified as Uche’s. It was then Uche realized he may never see his parents in this lifetime again (… to be continued.)

Everyone who attended a boarding school can appreciate the short story

shared above. Even those who have never set foot in a boarding school must have heard the sometimes very gory stories. Many of us are quick to condemn SARS and SWAT officials of Nigeria for infringing on the rights of individuals in the society when we could very well be doing the same thing. How many of us know that the way we discipline students in schools or even at home could amount to an infringement of a child’s right to dignity of the human person? 

The idea of this discussion today is to expose you to the meaning of the right to dignity of the human person while driving home the point that even students in nursery, primary and secondary schools in Nigeria are entitled to the right to dignity of the human person.

For starters, section 34 of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria guarantees our right to dignity of the human person as follows; 34. (1) Every individual is entitled to respect for the dignity of his person, and accordingly - (a) no person shall be subject to torture or to inhuman or degrading treatment; (b) no person shall he held in slavery or servitude; and (c) no person shall be required to perform forced or compulsory labour. This is also captured in the Child’s Rights Laws of various states.    

A few points can be raised as follows; 

1. Torture of any kind is against our dignity as human beings. I cannot overemphasis the fact that beating up thieves and suspects is against their human rights oooooo, but recognize also that the beating of all the students in the hostel in a bid to find out which particular student committed a crime is very wrong. I saw a comment online few days back, as follows; “growing up, my father only beat me a few times, the other times were murder attempts” . Sadly, this is true of most Nigerian homes and we must recognize that the tide is moving, and we must not fail to move. Inhuman or degrading act must be avoided in entirety. That includes not only the burning of thieves but refusal of food and physically rubbing salt into the injuries of children in the name of punishment. Mr. Maths teacher, you cannot just ask the students to lie down then you pour chalk dust from your duster over them because they failed to find X and Y. O wrong nau! 

2. Slavery and servitude is against the law. That includes the way you treat that little child brought from the village to help you at home. Stop making her sleep on the bare tiles in the kitchen with your rats, “ke afo udoho ifod.”  Meanwhile, the way some of you treat your wives at home is worse than slavery but let us leave that discussion for another day. 

3. Forced labour of any kind is against the law. Dear secondary school students and Nigerian youth Corp members, do not celebrate too early for they are exceptions. Forced labour does not include; (a) any labour required in consequence of the sentence or order of a court; (b) any labour required of members of the armed forces of the Federation or the Nigeria Police Force in pursuance of their duties as such; (c) in the case of persons who have conscientious objections to service in the armed forces of the Federation, any labour required instead of such service; (d) any labour required which is reasonably necessary in the event of any emergency or calamity threatening the life or well-being of the community; or (e) any labour or service that forms part of - (i) normal communal or other civic obligations of the wellbeing of the community. (ii) such compulsory national service in the armed forces of the Federation as may be prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly, or (iii) such compulsory national service which forms part of the education and training of citizens of Nigeria as may be prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly. 

In conclusion, I agree with the statement of the Court of Appeal in Uzoukwu v. Ezeonu where it was implied that degrading treatment would include mental harassment, physical brutalization, while inhuman treatment typifies the lack of human sentiments, belittling of one’s societal status or character, and the degradation of one’s value or position of a person.  

My dear, in this matter of human rights, I will not have you ignorant because ignorance of the law excuses no one. #ENDSARS is very important, but we must also end human rights abuses living in our homeland schools under the guise and cloak of discipline.   

Did you ever experience abuse of your rights in the guise of discipline? Please share your thoughts, thank you.

ThePlaymaster.