By Asaye Bankole
The Ondo State Government has completed a rehabilitation and reorientation programme for students of Oyemekun Grammar School and Aquinas College, Akure, who were involved in an inappropriate public celebration after completing their West African Senior School Certificate Examination.
The programme was organised by the Ondo State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology in collaboration with the Nigerian Correctional Service, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the Ondo State Neuro-Psychiatric Specialist Hospital.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Press Officer of the state Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Bisi Lawani.
According to the statement, the four-week rehabilitation programme was conducted during the school holiday and was designed to help the affected students reflect on their actions, develop responsible behaviour and understand the consequences of conduct capable of disrupting public peace and safety.
The state Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun, said the government deliberately adopted rehabilitation and counselling rather than relying solely on punitive measures that could have lasting effects on the students’ future.
Ajibefun described the initiative as a new approach to correcting student misconduct, noting that the programme was aimed at promoting discipline, responsible behaviour and good morals alongside academic development.
He also disclosed that the students’ names had been permanently removed from the state’s Black Book and assured them and their parents that their previously withheld WASSCE certificates would be released.
The commissioner urged the students to demonstrate the positive changes they had achieved during the programme and to remain conscious of their responsibilities to their families, schools and society.
“What you have done has been totally forgiven because you have undergone the desired change, so, we want you to continue to behave in a responsible way. Anywhere you find yourself, you are representing your family; you are representing Nigeria,” Ajibefun said.
The incident occurred several months ago when videos showing students from the two schools celebrating on the streets after completing their final examination papers went viral on social media.
The students were seen engaging in what authorities described as indecent acts, including tearing their school uniforms and chanting inappropriate slogans during the celebration.
Following the incident, some of the students were arrested by the state government and subsequently subjected to sanctions and rehabilitation. The affected students have now completed the rehabilitation programme.
The Director of Guidance and Counselling, Continuous Assessment and Evaluation in the ministry, Mrs Olufunke Ademuyiwa, said the four-week programme included psycho-education, individual and group counselling, behavioural reflection and anger-management sessions.
According to her, the students demonstrated significant positive changes during the programme and showed willingness to encourage other young people to make responsible choices.
She explained that the students were taken to the Ondo State Neuro-Psychiatric Specialist Hospital and the Correctional Centre in Akure for educational visits and counselling sessions with professionals.
The state government said it would continue to monitor the students to ensure that the behavioural improvements recorded during the rehabilitation process were sustained.
The Ondo State Commandant of the NDLEA, Mr Gabriel Folayemi, represented by the Assistant State Commandant in charge of Counselling, Treatment and Rehabilitation, Funmilayo Bamisaye, commended the agencies and individuals involved in the programme.
He urged the students to make responsible decisions about their conduct and the friends and peers they associate with.
Similarly, the Public Relations Officer of the Nigerian Correctional Service in Ondo State, Oyewole Adedayo, advised the students to avoid criminal activities that could expose them to imprisonment.
Adedayo also called on teachers to strengthen their supervision of students, while emphasising the importance of parental guidance and responsible upbringing at home.
He noted that parents and guardians have an important role to play in monitoring the behaviour and development of young people and ensuring that they receive proper guidance as they grow into adulthood.
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