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 in opposition to one in every of its employees.

A Fb person, Celestine Mel took to the platform to share images of the scholar recognized merely as Udeme, alleging that she was crushed ruthlessly by a employees of the varsity, King Solomon Secondary College in Uyo.

Mel revealed that the SS3 pupil is his relation’s daughter and alleged that she bought crushed as a result of her “faculty uniform was too brief and goes in opposition to the Bible“.

He wrote,

When a relation of mine forwarded disturbing photos, concerning 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 right this moment, 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 deal with my to-do checklist and the numerous Monday conferences. So, I let or not it’s.

Attempt as I might, my thoughts didn’t depart from these scorching photos. I saved prancing between Microsoft Initiatives Workplace Go well with, (which is my main work instrument), 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 setting. I used to be feeling tormented, raped and brutalized. I scoffed on the lack of empathy and beauty, that would have provoke such violence by whomsoever, on my good friend – Udeme. A few of ugly movies are too graphic to share. Whodunnit?

Upon returning residence this evening, I demanded for and bought the cellphone 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 aspect of the story. To be truthful 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:

“Whats up, my identify is Celestine Mel, calling from the FCT. I’m I talking to Madam Ndifreke of King Solomon College – Ewet Housing Property Uyo?” I requested.

“Sure, that is Ndifreke”. She answered.

“Pricey madam Ndi, I bought this disturbing info concerning an incident in your faculty right this moment, tenth January 2022, whereby you could have been accused of beating your pupil – Udeme and inflicting severe bodily damage to her. I need to hear your personal aspect of the story. What occurred?” I requested.

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

From her tone, it was very simple to infer that I simply spoke to a wickedly merciless monstrous and unapologetically cruel baby bully. I couldn’t think about myself caught up on this form of story, akin to the latest shenanigans in Dowen Faculty Lagos. Or the Deeper Life Excessive College Uyo. I wanted to get to the foundation 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 in school, accusing her of violating the varsity’s gown code. The cost was that her faculty uniform was too brief, and goes in opposition to the Bible, which (based on Ndifreke) varieties the ethical pillar of the varsity. She needed 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 so on. From the top to her again, shoulder, thighs, legs, and so on. 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 residence 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 baby? Who? How? Why? Questions. Extra questions. No reply….

I’m instructed that King Solomon Secondary is a infamous haven for baby abuse. I’m instructed 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 legislation, and whose conduct goes unchallenged. I might visualize her cold-heartedness from my little cellphone encounter along with her this evening. She was neither remorseful nor contrite. She sounded bellicose and haughty. She should 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 she broke the Youngster’s Proper Act by bodily harming a toddler that was left underneath her paid-care, on the primary day in school. After the Christmas break – the symbolism of affection itself.

I’ll let the images and movies that observe, 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 baby. 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 using sturdy disciplinary strategies in faculties previously, to assist mildew the character of the kid. However I by no means supported any type of bodily damage or breaking of the legislation to hurt anyone’s and anyone’s baby within the identify of self-discipline. It occurred to my very own very pricey and valuable good friend, Udeme, as she spends this evening within the hospital. Right this moment ……

#TooMuchIsTooMuch

#JusticeForUdeme

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

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 highschool with (an) inappropriate gown, a skirt with (an) edge above the knees.

“One in every of our employees, Mrs Ndifreke Etim, who’s a member of the Administration Board, accosted her on grounds of the unsuitable dressing, however the stated lady rebuffed, muttering offensive phrases to the employees, a behaviour that prompted using cane on her,” Ubong Akpan stated in an announcement on Tuesday.”

The college 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 faculty and have taken steps to resolve the difficulty amicably.

“It must also be recognized that our faculty has by no means condoned baby abuse of any type, or harbour abusers. Our employees are effectively cultured and our college students are bred in step with accepted requirements of college administration. The employees in query is one in every 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 affix 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 companies.

I’ve nonetheless been compelled out of that self-imposed hiatus to concern this assertion, by the hurriedly cobbled self-indicting Press Launch, issued by the varsity right this moment, 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, employees or house owners of King Solomon Worldwide College. Not the least Mrs. Ndifreke Etim and so, I’ve nothing personally, in opposition to 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 highschool with inappropriate gown, a skirt with edge above the knees. One in every of our employees, Mrs Ndifreke Etim who’s a member of the Administration Board accosted her on grounds of the unsuitable dressing, however the stated lady rebuffed, muttering offensive phrases to the employees; a habits that prompted using cane on her.”

4. The usage of cane on her for getting to highschool with mini-skirt and muttering offensive phrases in opposition to a Administration Board member is strictly the unarguable validation of the reality, concerning the tradition of coldblooded callous child-abuse, laceration, torture, damage, and so on., which the varsity and her Administration have normalized.

5. Their obstinate refusal to grasp that the brutality visited on citizen Udeme by them, is in opposition to the legal guidelines of the land and runs opposite to the UN conference on the rights and safety of the kid, Nigeria’s Youngster Rights Act (CRA) and different legal guidelines enacted to guard kids from bullying, torture, battery, cruelty and abuse speaks quantity concerning the form of horror underneath 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 review the statutes, vis-à-vis their duty to the kids whom they’re paid and licensed to show. The next clauses within the Youngster Rights Act (2003) readily come to thoughts:

NIGERIAN CHILD RIGHTS ACT SECTION 11.

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

(a) imprisoned; or

(b) subjected to corporal punishment or

(c) subjected to the demise penalty or, have the demise penalty recorded in opposition to him.

7. By attempting to show the story in opposition to me as one Celestine Mel and exonerating the assailant/baby abuser – Mrs Ndifreke from blame, whom the assertion venerates as one in every of our greatest and doesn’t deserve the disagreeable tags on her character I dare say, King Solomon continues to be dwelling within the fading phantasm that the varsity and her promoters are above the legislation 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, regardless of her offense, whom they admittedly and wickedly bruised and scarred, has executed extra injury to the already dented picture of the varsity than I might probably do.

9. It’s not true that the varsity took any steps to achieve out to the dad and mom of the sufferer to assuage the damage and trauma that they visited on their baby till I broke the story. Certainly, they began operating from pillar to put up after it grew to become 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 drag 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 baby care strategies and penance for the callous brutality on citizen Udeme.

10. The general public ought to word that I reached out to the varsity on the evening of tenth January 2022 (12 hours after the incident) to listen to their aspect of the story for steadiness, however Mrs. Ndifreke roundly and arrogantly rejected the chance and selected reasonably 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 legislation and had been merciless.

11. This whole concern means a lot to me (a proud father of tender children myself and the son of a instructor who was a strict disciplinarian himself) and I’d by no means stand anybody who brutalizes my baby the best way Mrs. Ndifreke did, regardless of the provocation. Torture is just not self-discipline. Harm is just not morality.

Lastly, I undertook this venture with the intention to spark frank dialog about these accepted abusive practices, to attract world consideration to the scourge of kid abuse in our surroundings and to let folks know that we’ve got left the barbarian age way back. Torture and molestation that also exist in our faculty system is just not solely injurious to the kid, however breeds additional violence which metastasizes to create the violent society all of us stay in right this moment. 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 previous as a result of she wore skirts above her knees and muttered abusive phrases to a administration employees to the extent of lacerating her physique; and is gutsy sufficient to assert that the general public ought to disregard any publication searching for to discredit our faculty as it’s our continued imaginative and prescient to boost accountable people within the society, give worth to schooling system in addition to relentlessly advocate for the precise of each baby. Everybody involved with this dastardly act have to be punished to function deterrent to different faculties, who make violence in opposition to kids their go-to pastime. We will unravel this.

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