The
Principal of Eva Adelaja Girls Secondary School, Mrs. C.O. Coker, and four
other teachers, who were suspended after a case of alleged brutality, have been
recalled by the Lagos State Government.
A
source said that Coker and the teachers had returned to the school for the new
term.
It had been reported
that a Senior Secondary School two pupil of the school, Ogechi Anyalewechi, was
severely flogged by the principal and four other teachers after she returned
the slap of a prefect in the school, Zainab.
The
victim was said to have been taken to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital,
Ikeja, where she was treated for the injuries sustained during the assault.
The
Lagos State Government had ordered the suspension of the principal and the
teachers – Mr. Bello (Mathematics), Mrs. Tejumaye (English language), Mrs.
Omoge (Physical Education) and Mr. Bakare (Economics) – for their roles in the
incident.
However,
a source said the decision had been rescinded and the affected workers recalled
after the intervention of the Nigerian Union of Teachers.
He
said, “The principal of the school has been recalled to the school, as well as
all the affected teachers. Immediately the state government ordered their
suspension, the case was reported to the NUT. The union then wrote the
government, asking that the decision be rescinded.
“The
NUT kicked against the suspension and advised that they should be returned to
the school.
They have been asked to go back, and that was just few days after
the suspension. There is no way the pupil can stay in the school with what has
happened.”
When
contacted, the Chairman of the NUT, Segun Raheem, confirmed the intervention of
the union, saying investigations showed that Ogechi’s injuries were fabricated.
Raheem
explained that the NUT only asked the government to conduct its investigation,
adding that the outcome led to the redeployment of the affected teachers.
He
said, “When we heard of the case, we swung into action. We went to the school
and the education district to have firsthand information of what actually
transpired.
“Immediately
the incident happened, what the district did was to ask all of them to stop working
and start reporting to the district. We felt the decision was wrong. How
can you just take action against people without hearing from them or issuing
queries?
“The
district said a committee was set up by the Ministry of Youths and Sports, and
we said it was wrong because the workers were under the Ministry of Education.”
He
said the Ministry of Education in conjunction with the district, set up a
Personnel Management Board, which said “the principal and teachers did not do
enough to save the situation.”
Raheem
said the PMB recommended some punishments for the teachers.
“They
are no longer in the school. As I speak with you, the teachers have been
redeployed to another school, while the principal has been recalled to the
district office. She has been taken out of the school to be reporting at the
district office,” he added.
The
union leader said it discovered that the photos of Ogechi’s injuries were
doctored, adding that the claim that she was taken to a hospital after the
beating was also not true.
He
said, “We went to the school and took a real life photograph of the girl and
there were signs of strokes of cane on her back because she’s fair. Any
fair-complexioned person, even if you hold the person, there will be marks. And
that was exactly what we felt.
“The
marks were fabricated. It is the work of an expert. The claim that the girl was
sick or taken to the hospital are all lies. They are the handiwork of a
non-governmental organisation that wants to be relevant. The case was
exaggerated out of proportion.”
But
Ogechi’s brother, Joseph, said he was disappointed in the NUT for saying the
photos were fabricated, adding that the family was awaiting school’s resumption
before taking a decision on the matter.
He
said, “We are waiting for the time the school will resume and that is when we
will decide whether Ogechi will continue in that school or not. But I feel
disappointed if it is true that someone is claiming that my sister’s assault
photos were doctored. I may not have any option but to pursue the legal option
open to us.”
The
state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Steve Ayorinde, said the
principal and the teachers were not back in the school.
He
said, “It is not true. The teachers and the principal are not back in the
school. They have been withdrawn and taken to district two. It is the vice
principal admin, that is running the school for now.”
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