Cassandra had raised the alarm after being denied access to the school’s examination hall for “improper dressing”.
A human rights advocacy group under the aegis of Youth Rights Campaign (YRC), has demanded an immediate and thorough investigation into the alleged victimisation of Cassandra Michael, a female student of the National Open University of Nigeria, Garki Centre, Abuja by the staff of the university.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that Cassandra had raised the alarm after being denied access to the school’s examination hall for “improper dressing”.
Cassandra in a one-minute and 30-second-long video which went viral on Wednesday, explained that she went to school in the morning for her examination but one of the invigilators drove her away, saying she would not be allowed to take the examination because she was “dressed improperly”.
Showing her dressing the invigilator claimed to be indecent in a video, Cassandra said, “This morning I came to school because I have paper (examination) around 2:00 pm and one of the invigilators said I’m not going to write the exam because of my dressing. That I dressed improperly.
“I’m on school premises. I have not gone home. I’m going to show you people what I’m putting on. If this is improper, you people should tell me and if it is not improper, you people should help me share this video to get to whoever owns the school.
“This is because what they are doing to us now, some people cannot actually come out to say it but I will come out to say it because I know my rights. That is why I’m here.”
Reacting to the video, the YRC in a statement issued by its National Secretary, Francis Nwapa Watch, asked the university management to explain to Nigerians whether the examination venue is an academic centre or a rehabilitation centre.
Nwapa stated, “The Management of National Open University Abuja, Garki Center will have to explain to Nigerians if the centre is for academic work or rehabilitation centre given their actions in a viral video showing how an academic staff deprived Cassandra Michael of writing exam on the ground that she was not properly dressed.
“We find it disturbing that the Nigerian ruling elites and even some senior academic staff send their children to institutions in America and Europe where the right to dressing is upheld in higher institutions but allow antiquated practices in Nigerian higher institutions.
“The rot in Nigeria's education system is caused by underfunding of public education by the ruling elites and education commercialization, these are the issues to be addressed and not violating the rights of students to freely express themselves in dressing and speaking.
“We call for immediate investigation and prosecution of those involved in the victimization of Cassandra Michael and adequate compensation of the victim.”