By Charles Igwe
The Anambra State government has taken immediate action to close Blessed Wisdom Model School at Ide Drive, Federal Housing Estate, Onitsha, in response to an incident where a two-year-old pupil was severely flogged.
Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, the state Commissioner for Education, announced the closure on Saturday after receiving a report on the incident. The report revealed that the young pupil, Ifechukwu Egbuninwe, suffered significant bodily harm as a result of the flogging.
Chuma-Udeh stated, “The victim sustained a broken arm and injuries to her tongue under circumstances that are yet to be explained. It was also reported that the school proprietress failed to inform the parents of the pupil about her injuries and did not administer any first aid treatment.”
Expressing her disappointment, the Commissioner condemned the school’s management for their disregard for human life and the proprietress’ disobedience by not attending the invitation for explanation.
Chuma-Udeh further added, “Every child is under the protection of the state, and neglecting human life cannot be tolerated. We invited the proprietress to explain what happened, but she blatantly refused to appear, even with the presence of the child, her parents, and their lawyer. As a result, we have made the decision to close down the school.”
The Anambra State Joint Enforcement Team has been instructed to ensure strict compliance with the closure order, and the school will remain closed until further notice from the Governor.
In addition, Chuma-Udeh has established a seven-member committee to investigate the incident and has urged the proprietress to cooperate and appear before the committee. Failure to comply may result in arrest and prosecution.
