The Ondo State Government has rehabilitated 13 secondary school students involved in a misconduct incident that occurred shortly after the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), assuring them of a fresh start and the release of their withheld certificates.
The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun, disclosed this on Tuesday during a behavioural integration and certificate presentation programme held for the students in Akure.
Ajibefun said the government opted for rehabilitation and counselling rather than punitive measures after the incident went viral on social media, stressing that the affected students remain valuable assets to the state and the nation.
According to him, the four-week rehabilitation programme was designed to transform the students into responsible citizens through counselling, behavioural correction and mentorship.
“What you have done has been totally forgiven because you have undergone the desired change. We want you to continue to behave in a responsible way. Anywhere you find yourself, you are representing your family and Nigeria,” he said.
The commissioner assured the students and their parents that their names had been removed from the ministry’s black book, while their WASSCE certificates, previously withheld due to the incident, would be released.
He added that the ministry would continue to monitor the students and support their reintegration into society.
Giving an overview of the programme, the Director of Guidance and Counseling, Continuous Assessment and Evaluation in the ministry, Mrs. Olufunke Ademuyiwa, said the students underwent psycho-education, individual and group counselling, behavioural reflection and anger management sessions.
She explained that the students also visited the Ondo State Neuro-Psychiatric Specialist Hospital and the correctional centre in Akure, where they received counselling from professionals and gained firsthand knowledge of the consequences of anti-social behaviour.
Officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the Ondo State Neuro-Psychiatric Specialist Hospital commended the initiative, urging the students to make positive choices and avoid activities that could jeopardise their future.
Stakeholders at the event, including school principals and a magistrate, also called for sustained counselling programmes in schools to prevent similar incidents and promote moral discipline among students.