Akwa Ibom school defends teacher who flogged student mercilessly, leaving her bruised because her ‘school uniform was short and goes against the Bible’ – –

The administration of a non-public secondary faculty in Akwa Ibom State has responded to an allegation of kid abuse made towards certainly one of its workers.

A Fb consumer, Celestine Mel took to the platform to share pictures of the coed recognized merely as Udeme, alleging that she was overwhelmed ruthlessly by a workers of the varsity, King Solomon Secondary College in Uyo.

Mel revealed that the SS3 pupil is his relation’s daughter and alleged that she received overwhelmed as a result of her “faculty uniform was too brief and goes towards the Bible“.

He wrote,

When a relation of mine forwarded disturbing photographs, relating to the bestial brutality visited on her daughter, who’s an SS3 pupil of King Solomon Secondary College, a privately owned co-educational establishment in Uyo – Akwa Ibom by Mrs. Ndifreke Etim Asuquo, the daughter of the proprietress, who additionally doubles as the varsity’s admissions officer to me immediately, I used to be initially hesitant to imagine my eyes. The gravity and beastliness of the sight scared daylight out of me. It was a Monday morning, and I used to be busy at work. I wanted to concentrate on my to-do checklist and the various Monday conferences. So, I let it’s.

Strive as I might, my thoughts didn’t depart from these scorching photos. I stored prancing between Microsoft Initiatives Workplace Go well with, (which is my main work software), and the WhatsApp webpage which I used to archive the ghoulish photos. Every go to to WhatsApp haunted me like a foul dream. I began hating myself and my surroundings. I used to be feeling tormented, raped and brutalized. I scoffed on the lack of empathy and charm, that might have provoke such violence by whomsoever, on my good friend – Udeme. A few of ugly movies are too graphic to share. Whodunnit?

Upon returning house this night time, I demanded for and received the telephone variety of the beastly child-abuser. A lady for actual? I used to be crammed with extra rage; too bitter to ring her up, to ask why she defiled this little angel so cruelly. Because the adrenaline rushed down my veins, I summoned the braveness to dial her. I wanted to listen to her facet of the story. To be honest to her. And my conscience. I wanted to persuade myself that it was a dream.

On the second ring, she answered. The next dialogue ensured:

“Good day, my identify is Celestine Mel, calling from the FCT. I’m I chatting with Madam Ndifreke of King Solomon College – Ewet Housing Property Uyo?” I requested.

“Sure, that is Ndifreke”. She answered.

“Expensive madam Ndi, I received this disturbing data relating to an incident in your faculty immediately, tenth January 2022, whereby you’ve been accused of beating your pupil – Udeme and inflicting critical bodily damage to her. I wish to hear your individual facet of the story. What occurred?” I requested.

“I can not converse on the matter. I’ll sue you for intruding into my privateness. I’m a mom, a wife and a girl. I didn’t act alone. I acted on behalf of the varsity. The varsity would reply formally. Bla..bla..bla.” Ndifreke answered. Then the telephone went clean. I continued to listen to crackling noises on the different finish…. Then I hanged up.

From her tone, it was very straightforward to infer that I simply spoke to a wickedly merciless monstrous and unapologetically cruel youngster bully. I couldn’t think about myself caught up on this kind of story, akin to the current shenanigans in Dowen Faculty Lagos. Or the Deeper Life Excessive College Uyo. I wanted to get to the basis of this. I referred to as up my relations and requested them if they might want to inform this story to the world. They consented and sat down with me to reveal all of it…

Ndifreke accosted Udeme this morning at college, accusing her of violating the varsity’s costume code. The cost was that her faculty uniform was too brief, and goes towards the Bible, which (in keeping with Ndifreke) kinds the ethical pillar of the varsity. She wished to strip the kid down. She does it to different college students. The kid tried to run away. Ndifreke descended on her, utilizing each weapon inside her attain: cane, stick, planks, and many others. From the top to her again, shoulder, thighs, legs, and many others. There have been bumps, blood and bruises. She appeared like a fortunate survivor, out from a bombed-out rubble in a conflict zone. The pinnacle bulged out. The eyes blood-shot. He pores and skin peeled right here and there, lacerated and bleeding. She left the varsity by foot and in pains, and walked house by foot, a number of kilometers away. Alone. With no mercy. Or cash. Or pity.

The mom who dropped her off just a few minutes earlier, couldn’t perceive the flip of occasions. She actually ran mad. My youngster? Who? How? Why? Questions. Extra questions. No reply….

I’m advised that King Solomon Secondary is a infamous haven for youngster abuse. I’m advised that tales abound within the faculties’ WhatsApp group of comparable outrageous incidents, wrought on feminine college students by the belligerent Mrs. Ndifreke, who operates above and past the regulation, and whose conduct goes unchallenged. I might visualize her cold-heartedness from my little telephone encounter together with her this night time. She was neither remorseful nor contrite. She sounded bellicose and haughty. She will need to have gulped from the forbidden jar of intoxicating uncooked bare energy, luxuriating with the self-assurance that the authorities which ought to regulate the conduct of faculties, are too impotent and too torpid to behave. She loathes the concept that she broke the Baby’s Proper Act by bodily harming a toddler that was left below her paid-care, on the primary day at college. After the Christmas break – the symbolism of affection itself.

I’ll let the photographs and movies that comply with, do the remainder of the speaking. I do know that the dad and mom of Udeme, reported the abuse to Ewet Housing Police Station, which issued an extract for medical help to the sufferer. I’m including my voice to sentence this unconscionable act of disproportionate violence by yet one more faculty, on the physique and flesh of the lady youngster. I name on the authorities, particularly the federal government of Akwa Ibom State to swing into motion, arrest and prosecute all these concerned on this crime and take each motion vital, in direction of saving our faculties from persevering with to function slaughterhouses for our kids.

I do know I’ve supported the usage of sturdy disciplinary strategies in faculties up to now, to assist mould the character of the kid. However I by no means supported any type of bodily damage or breaking of the regulation to hurt anyone’s and anyone’s youngster within the identify of self-discipline. It occurred to my very own very pricey and valuable good friend, Udeme, as she spends this night time within the hospital. At this time ……

#TooMuchIsTooMuch

#JusticeForUdeme

In response to the declare, the varsity acknowledged that Mel’s account is an exaggeration of what occurred. They confirmed that the incident centered on the coed carrying “brief faculty uniform“, however accused the coed of “rebuffing and muttering offensive phrases to the workers“.

Their assertion learn;

“On Monday, January 10, 2022, the resumption day of (the) second time period for the 2021/22 session, a feminine pupil in SS3 was noticed coming to high school with (an) inappropriate costume, a skirt with (an) edge above the knees.

“Considered one of our workers, Mrs Ndifreke Etim, who’s a member of the Administration Board, accosted her on grounds of the mistaken dressing, however the stated lady rebuffed, muttering offensive phrases to the workers, a behaviour that prompted the usage of cane on her,” Ubong Akpan stated in a press release on Tuesday.”

The varsity revealed that the lady’s dad and mom weren’t happy with the incident, however that its administration had been already on the matter earlier than it was “overblown and brought to social media”.

The assertion added,

“Whereas it’s apparent that the model of the story circulated by Mr Mel is an exaggeration of the true state of issues, we acknowledge the established grievances of (the) lady’s dad and mom who’ve remained dependable stakeholders in our college and have taken steps to resolve the difficulty amicably.

“It must also be identified that our college has by no means condoned youngster abuse of any type, or harbour abusers. Our workers are effectively cultured and our college students are bred in step with accepted requirements of college administration. The workers in query is certainly one of our greatest and doesn’t deserve the disagreeable tags on her character.”

Responding to the declare made by the varsity, Mel wrote,

RE: THE SORDID COLD-BLOODED ABUSE OF THE GIRL-CHILD IN KING-SOLOMON SECONDARY SCHOOL UYO, AKWA IBOM

Ordinarily, I’d not have continued to hitch points with the house owners, Administration and Employees of King Solomon Secondary College – Uyo, over the now-viral case of kid torture, abuse and molestation which I painstakingly reported two days in the past, and which is attracting the eye of related law-enforcement businesses.

I’ve nevertheless been pressured out of that self-imposed hiatus to challenge this assertion, by the hurriedly cobbled self-indicting Press Launch, issued by the varsity immediately, twelfth January 2022, signed by one Obong Ubong Akpan who claims to be the Principal of the varsity whereby, my identify was copiously talked about.

I’ve taken time to parse the discharge and I make daring to state as follows:

1. I have no idea the proprietor, workers or house owners of King Solomon Worldwide College. Not the least Mrs. Ndifreke Etim and so, I’ve nothing personally, towards them.

2. The story of the abuse of girl-child Udeme which I broke, has simply been validated by the varsity as true, by the confessions contained within the stated press assertion.

3. Particularly, paragraph two of the press assertion, reproduced as follows, says all of it:

“On Monday, January 10, 2022, the resumption day of second time period for the 2021/22 session, a feminine pupil in SS3 was noticed coming to high school with inappropriate costume, a skirt with edge above the knees. Considered one of our workers, Mrs Ndifreke Etim who’s a member of the Administration Board accosted her on grounds of the mistaken dressing, however the stated lady rebuffed, muttering offensive phrases to the workers; a habits that prompted the usage of cane on her.”

4. The usage of cane on her for getting to high school with mini-skirt and muttering offensive phrases towards a Administration Board member is strictly the unarguable validation of the reality, relating to the tradition of coldblooded callous child-abuse, laceration, torture, damage, and many others., which the varsity and her Administration have normalized.

5. Their obstinate refusal to know that the brutality visited on citizen Udeme by them, is towards the legal guidelines of the land and runs opposite to the UN conference on the rights and safety of the kid, Nigeria’s Baby Rights Act (CRA) and different legal guidelines enacted to guard kids from bullying, torture, battery, cruelty and abuse speaks quantity concerning the kind of horror below which kids exist within the faculty and of their minds.

6. Extra particularly, I want to remind King Solomon Colleges to search out time to check the statutes, vis-à-vis their accountability to the kids whom they’re paid and licensed to show. The next clauses within the Baby Rights Act (2003) readily come to thoughts:

NIGERIAN CHILD RIGHTS ACT SECTION 11.

Each youngster is entitled to respect for the dignity of his particular person, and accordingly, no youngster shall be:

(a) subjected to bodily, psychological or emotional damage, abuse, neglect or maltreatment, together with sexual abuse;

(b) subjected to torture, inhuman or degrading remedy or punishment

(c) subjected to assaults upon his honor or repute;

NIGERIAN CHILD RIGHTS ACT SECTION 221. Restriction on punishment

(1) No youngster shall be ordered to be

(a) imprisoned; or

(b) subjected to corporal punishment or

(c) subjected to the loss of life penalty or, have the loss of life penalty recorded towards him.

7. By making an attempt to show the story towards me as one Celestine Mel and exonerating the assailant/youngster abuser – Mrs Ndifreke from blame, whom the assertion venerates as certainly one of our greatest and doesn’t deserve the disagreeable tags on her character I dare say, King Solomon continues to be residing within the fading phantasm that the varsity and her promoters are above the regulation and would proceed to advertise their tradition of violence based mostly on so-called excessive ethical commonplace with zero tolerance for indiscipline with out regrets.

8. The bodily torture of citizen Udeme, irrespective of her offense, whom they admittedly and wickedly bruised and scarred, has achieved extra injury to the already dented picture of the varsity than I might presumably do.

9. It’s not true that the varsity took any steps to succeed in out to the dad and mom of the sufferer to assuage the damage and trauma that they visited on their youngster till I broke the story. Certainly, they began working from pillar to submit after it turned apparent yesterday that my expose would flip the worlds consideration to their reprehensible (and illegal) modus operandi. They’ve despatched a number of emissaries to me to tug down the story in order to guard the funding that the late proprietor made in class. I’ve all of the conversations recorded within the clouds and would publish them on the acceptable time if the necessity arises.

10. What I’ve nor coronary heart is what they might do to re-orientated their abusive board members on trendy youngster care strategies and penance for the callous brutality on citizen Udeme.

10. The general public ought to observe that I reached out to the varsity on the night time of tenth January 2022 (12 hours after the incident) to listen to their facet of the story for stability, however Mrs. Ndifreke roundly and arrogantly rejected the chance and selected relatively to threaten me with court docket motion if I dared publish this damming expose. I revealed this story after I used to be satisfied that they broke the regulation and had been merciless.

11. This whole challenge means a lot to me (a proud father of tender youngsters myself and the son of a trainer who was a strict disciplinarian himself) and I’d by no means stand anybody who brutalizes my youngster the way in which Mrs. Ndifreke did, irrespective of the provocation. Torture isn’t self-discipline. Harm isn’t morality.

Lastly, I undertook this venture with the intention to spark frank dialog about these accepted abusive practices, to attract international consideration to the scourge of kid abuse in our surroundings and to let individuals know that we now have left the barbarian age way back. Torture and molestation that also exist in our college system isn’t solely injurious to the kid, however breeds additional violence which metastasizes to create the violent society all of us stay in immediately. Extra so, it’s a crime. It’s unthinkable {that a} licensed faculty would admit publicly (on this century) that it used cane on a 16-year outdated as a result of she wore skirts above her knees and muttered abusive phrases to a administration workers to the extent of lacerating her physique; and is gutsy sufficient to assert that the general public ought to disregard any publication looking for to discredit our college as it’s our continued imaginative and prescient to lift accountable people within the society, give worth to training system in addition to relentlessly advocate for the precise of each youngster. Everybody involved with this dastardly act should be punished to function deterrent to different faculties, who make violence towards kids their go-to pastime. We will unravel this.

RECOMMENDED ARTICLES