Jare Babatunde
The identity of the five secondary school girls seen smoking shisha while dressed in school uniform in a video that went viral on social media last week have been revealed.
According to some news media, the Special Adviser on Education to the Lagos Governor, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, revealed that the students are students of Oreyo Senior Grammar School, Igbogbo in Ikorodu Division of Lagos, Southwest, Nigeria.
A source in the Ministry of Education also confirmed the development to our reporter, adding that the state government, through the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Youth and Social Development, has since sent the girls to rehabilitation centre.
He also said that the school Principal, who got wind of the students’ behavior took action before the incident went viral by reporting the matter to the appropriate authority.
It is also gathered that parents of the five students who are now undergoing rehabilitation, have been told that they will be held responsible if such acts reoccur after their rehabilitation .
Speaking with Dr Saheed Ibikunle, member, Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LSUBEB), he said that a joint investigative panel has been set up to look into the incident and make recommendations.
“Well, all that I can say is that a joint investigative panel consisting of officials from the Ministry of Education and Quality Assurance has been set up to look into the matter and make recommendations”, he said.“Until the outcome of the investigation, there is nothing that I can say”.
Meanwhile, in an article by the Royal College of Physician, titled, ‘A review of the health effects of smoking Shisha’, it is stated that Shisha is a method of smoking tobacco invented in the 16th century by a physician named Hakim Abul-Fath Gilani with the purpose of passing smoke through water in an attempt to ‘purify’ the smoke.
The article says that the process is, “an unproven concept that has been repeatedly questioned by the medical community”.
Stating the effects of smoking Shisha, the article stated that, “it’s is associated with three main detrimental health effects: cardiovascular damage, infection and cancer formation. Much of the morbidity and mortality associated with Shisha smoking can be attributed to impairment of the cardiovascular system”.
