BY AGNES NWORIE, ABAKALIKI
A parent, Mrs. Chisom Chukwudolue, has threatened to institute a legal suit against the management and teachers of a Missionary School in Ebonyi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State for allegedly assaulting her and her daughter.
According to Chukwudolue, two of the secondary school teachers pounced on her and allegedly flogged her with canes when she visited the school to complain about how the school principal and some teachers beat her daughter, Chimaobi Chukwudolue, mercilessly.
It was gathered that Chimaobi, an SS 2 student of the school and the school’s Games Prefect, had allegedly flogged a junior student on May 26, 2023, before the school managers decided to also punish her by giving her 29 strokes of the cane.
When she visited the school to seek explanations on why the principal and teachers caused bruises on the body of her daughter, the parent claimed, during an interview with The Point, that she was not spared as two teachers she identified as Austin Awuru and Okemini Peter, beat her with canes and chased her out of the school premises.
Narrating her ordeals and that of her 15-year-old daughter that was reportedly expelled over the incident by the school principal, Mrs. Chukwudolue said the teachers never bothered to ask Chimaobi why she punished the junior student.
According to the mother, when her daughter came home with cane bruises without serious explanation, she called the school principal on the phone but got no response.
She said she went to the school premises the following day to get the reason why her daughter was beaten and injured, but she was also flogged and humiliated before students and other parents who came to pick their children.
She said, “On the 26th of May 2023, my daughter Chukwudolue Chimaobi came back from school with bruises all over her body. When I asked her what happened, she complained that some teachers in her school flogged her mercilessly because she punished a junior student. My daughter is the Games Prefect of the school. I took her back to the school to find out why they beat her like a thief, but I didn’t meet the principal.
“I learnt the teachers laid my daughter on the table and asked her male fellow students to hold her while they gave her 17 strokes of the cane on the buttocks, the principal also gave her 12 strokes and compelled her to kneel down and apologise to the junior student which she did, but nobody cared to hear her side of the story. After that they gave her cutlass to go and clear grass. She came home worn-out with bruises all over her body.
“I phoned the school principal and she refused to pick calls for thirteen times. So I resorted to sending text messages and she only replied with the phrase: “Seen, thanks.” My daughter went to school days after recovering from the beating. After some hours, I went to see the principal face to face to settle the matter. I saw my daughter crying again. On inquiry, I learnt the principal has expelled her from the school. That got me angry that she neglected me despite all my efforts to reach her for settlement.”
“On reaching her office, I told the principal how I felt about the whole incident. After this, I ordered my child to pack her things for us to leave the school premises. While my daughter went upstairs to pack her things, the principal called their security man and teachers to drag me out. I told them I have to wait and assist my daughter with her properties but they were bent on implementing the principal’s order. In the process, the teachers – Austin Awuru and Okemini Peter – brought out canes and started flogging me. I tried fighting back but they overpowered me,” she lamented.
Disclosing her readiness to sue the school and its teachers, Chukwudolue said, “I have decided to take the matter to court to seek justice because I have never been humiliated in this manner before. I want justice for my daughter because she was treated like a hardened criminal. Up till now the school management is yet to show remorse for their act towards us.
Maybe the junior student’s parents have money which I don’t have, that is why they beat me and my daughter up, expelled my child and humiliated us. I want justice for the assault they gave to me in the presence of their students who laughed and mocked me.”
When contacted, the State Commissioner for Primary and Secondary Education, Paul Nwobashi, promised to settle the matter but warned parents “to stop terrorising school managers.”
