Anambra: Family of flogged pupil says school opened despite shutdown

Family members of a two-year-old pupil, Ifechukwu Egbuninwe, who sustained grievous bodily injuries when she was flogged at her school, Blessed Wisdom Model School, Onitsha, Anambra State, have protested against the school’s continuous opening despite its closure by the state government.

The toddler was said to have sustained the injuries at the school last week without any first aid administered, a situation which attracted the attention of the state government after the incident went viral.

As a result of the development, the Anambra State Government, through the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, over the weekend, ordered the shutting down of the school.

But the family, while addressing journalists, through their lawyer, Anthony Anagu, in Onitsha on Friday, lamented that to date, the proprietor and management of the school had not called, visited or sent anybody to the family to know how the child was faring.

The family members were protesting that the school had continued normal activities despite its temporary shutdown by the state government. They said, “The school ought not to open for activities, but they are going ahead with their academic and other activities, despite the shutdown of the school by the Anambra State Government.

“The two-year-old broke her arm and sustained injuries on her tongue due to the beating. The management of the school is aware that there is an order shutting down the school but they have continued to carry on with their school business as if nothing happened or that the government directive is worthless.

“The school ought not to open considering the directive of the government, but they have shown that the government order meant nothing and that the fractured arm of the toddler meant nothing to them.”

Saturday PUNCH who visited the school on Thursday at 7.30am observed some teachers on the ground and security guards within the premises claimed that the senior officials of the school competent to speak on the matter were not around.

They also declined to release the phone numbers of both the proprietor and the manager of the school. Punch