By Praise Necherem
Family of 2-year-old pupil, Ifechukwu Egbuninwe, toddler who sustained injuries over alleged neglect by her school, Blessed Wisdom Model School in Onitsha, Anambra State has raised the alarm over school’s continued operations despite its temporary shut down by government.
It expressed worry that up till date the school’s management had neither called, visited nor sent anybody to the family to know how the child was faring.
Speaking through their lawyer in Thursday, Mr. Anthony Anagu, the family said the proprietress and management of school could not feign ignorance of the shut down order, wondering why the continued operations.
He argued that such actions indicated that the victim’s life meant nothing and government’s directive was worthless.
He said, “The school ought not to open considering the directive of government, but they have shown that the order and the fractured arm of the toddler meant nothing to them.”
Efforts to speak with the Proprietress or Manager of the school were unsuccessful as teachers and security men claimed that the two senior officials of the school competent to speak on the matter were not around.
They promised to get back to the reporter but did not as at the time of filing this report.
State government had, through the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, ordered immediate shutting down of the school following grievous bodily harm sustained by the toddler.
She condemned alleged indifferent attitude of the school authorities to human life, and frowned at the school’s proprietress’ alleged disobedience and blatant refusal to appear before her when invited for explanation in the presence of the child, her parents and their lawyers.
“This failure on the part of the proprietress led to the decision to close down the school. Every child belongs to the state, we cannot condone indifference to human life,” she warned.
The Commissioner called on officers of the State Joint Enforcement Team, to ensure strict compliance with the closure order, and directed that the school remained closed till Governor Chukwuma Soludo directed otherwise.
