PRESS STATEMENT
The
Education Rights Campaign (ERC) has called for the immediate release of seven
(7) secondary school students arrested and detained in prison custody and
corrective centres for protesting against Aregbesola’s anti-poor education
policies.
The secondary school
students, 5 of whom are juveniles, were arrested after they protested last week
on February 4, 2016 in Ile-Ife against the decision
of the state government to stop the payment of their West African Senior School
Certificate Examination (WASSCE) fees. The state government excuse was that
they failed mock examinations.
Reacting to
this, the ERC argued that it is the poor condition of education in the state
that makes it difficult for students to pass examinations. In the group’s
opinion therefore, it is wrong for the state government to criminalize the
victims of its failure to provide enabling atmosphere for quality education in
the state.
The arrested students
are: Ayodele Michael (18), Adeleke Sodiq (18), Adisa Sefiu (16), Adebisi Jamiu
(16), Olatunji Segun (16), Ayoh Festus (16) and Chioma Anuoluwapo (16). The
presiding Magistrate of the Osogbo magistrate court, Olusola Aluko, during the
arraignment on Tuesday ordered the accused persons to be remanded in prison
pending a formal bail application by their Counsel.
In a statement sent to
the media on Thursday 11 February 2016 and signed by the group’s National Coordinator
and Secretary, comrades Hassan Taiwo Soweto and Michael Ogundele respectively,
the ERC described the arrest and detention of juveniles “as a new low in
Governor Aregbesola’s repression of dissent views”.
“Before now, the state
government had visited similar repressive attacks on trade unionists, academic
staff striking for their rights as well as civil societies and socialist
activists in the State. Feeling the dead weight of its own increasing
unpopularity as a result of its mismanagement of state resources which has led
to the current situation of indebtedness and cash crunch in the state, the
Aregbesola government has turned to a despotic government lashing out at
everyone who dare question its anti-poor policies. From using state boys and
DSS operatives to harass civil society activists, lecturers, medical doctors
and workers striking for their rights, Aregbesola government has now attained
new lows that even the worst military regime in Nigeria’s history could not
attain. Young people, barely 18, and minors are now the latest victims of
Aregbesola’s machinery of repression. Instead of keeping them in school, Governor
Aregbesola has locked them in prison where they would be educated in all sorts
of vices. Every day they spend in prison custody is an indictment on Governor
Aregbesola and a sore in our collective conscience as a people”.
The ERC pointed out
that while it does not approve of violence which reportedly occurred during the
students’ protest in Ile-Ife, it feels strongly that more harm would be done to
society when children who should be in school are locked up in jail. No matter
the excuses, the overriding consideration should be whether or not these
children were right to have protested against a decision that would have
negative consequence for their future.
“From
putting computer tablets in the hands of school children just a few years ago,
Aregbesola’s government has degenerated to such a level that it now put
handcuffs around their wrists. If anyone should be in jail, it is the anti-poor
politicians and particularly officials of the Osun State government whose
mismanagement of the state’s resources is responsible for the situation where
welfare programmes like payment of WASSCE fees that children from poor working
families used to enjoy are now being withdrawn under different guises.” - The
group added.
The group also called
on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), civil
society organizations and the Nigerian working masses to publicly condemn the
state government and demand the immediate and unconditional release of the
seven (7) students in detention.
Hassan Taiwo Soweto Michael Ogundele
National Coordinator
(07033697259) National
Secretary
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