Ebonyi: Gov. Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi says the government has commenced efforts to review the existing policies against child bullying. Nwifuru gave the hint on Tuesday, during this year’s Children’s Day celebration, with the theme, ‘Stand Up, Speak Up: Building a Bullying-Free Generation.’
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the governor, represented by Deputy Gov. Patricia Obila, addressed the rampant cases of bullying in society and mandated the Commissioners for Education and Women Affairs to set up a committee to work out the modalities to review policies against bullying. He mentioned that the committee would introduce a helpline to assist victims and enable the appropriate authorities to take action.
He called on parents, teachers, and caregivers to always listen to children and assured that the safety of children remained a top priority of his administration. In a remark, the Wife of the Governor, Mary-Maudline Nwifuru, promised a safe learning environment for children and urged them to speak up in order to inspire change. Nwifuru stated that her foundation would be expanding mental health awareness by training teachers across the state to detect bullying and take steps to intervene.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Felicia Nwamkpuma, emphasized that creating a bullying-free generation requires collective action and urged children to speak up when molested to obtain justice. The Speaker of the Ebonyi Children Parliament, Victor Obasi, and his deputy, Elvis Nnanna, appreciated the governor for the children’s friendly policies in the state, describing children’s needs as multi-dimensional.
