The Ebonyi State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Onyebuchi Chima, Thursday directed the management of Ginger International School, Abakaliki, to sack two teachers, Sunday Onyemachi and John Olomu, for allegedly manhandling a Primary 5 pupil of the school, identified as Michael Raphael.
The Independent reported that the State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Onyebuchi Chima, who made this known to newsmen said the state government gave the order after receiving the report of the incident which has pitched the victim’s parents against the two teachers and the school management.
Chima directed the management of the school to deploy all disciplinary measures to adequately sanction the two teachers if found guilty.
The commissioner frowned at the action of the two teachers and said the state government doesn’t tolerate corporal punishment of pupils and students in the state.
He said that chastising or corporal punishment of children was no longer acceptable in this modern age and warned school teachers who indulge in it to desist.
The victim allegedly received the maltreatment for failing to do his homework.
In her reaction, the school Proprietress, Mrs. Ginger Stella Eke, told our journalists that she was not present when the two teachers committed the act but were notified by Michael’s mother through a phone call. She also said the men have been handed over to the police for proper investigation and prosecution.
She said that on receiving the phone call from Michael’s mother, she visited their house and was surprised to see the treatment given to the child.
“I quickly took Michael to a nearby medical shop where he was given first aid treatment, and on the following day, we invited the police to arrest the two teachers,” the headmistress added.
Speaking, the victim’s mother, Mrs. Julie Nwaokeke, said, “Last week Friday, my child came back from school with two of his textbooks missing and on Monday, I gave him a written note to give to his teacher to help him look for the books in school, only for him to return that day badly manhandled.”
Mrs. Nwaokereke said she quickly called the Headmistress after hearing from his son to report the maltreatment as she couldn’t bear it.
Also, the victim, Master Michael Raphael while narrating his ordeal, said the two teachers flogged him mercilessly shortly after delivering the message from his mother.
“When I gave the letter to my teacher, he asked me to kneel down close to his table and he showed me the two books missing. Then, he called another girl in Primary 6 to bring cane for him, and he started flogging me.
“As he was flogging me, Mr. John, a Primary 6 teacher, walked in and asked what was going on and my teacher told him that I did not finish my assignment and I did not also collect my lesson note before going home over the weekend. Then, he picked up his own cane and joined him to flog me all over my body,” Michael said.
The State’s Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Loveth Odah, a Superintendent of Police (SP) said she was yet to get any report on the incident, but promised to contact the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Central Police Station, Onuebonyi, under whose jurisdiction the incident happened to make inquiries.
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