Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja
Concerned parents have petitioned the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and the Senate, seeking their urgent intervention into the activities of physical abuse, against students of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) School for the Blind, Jabi, Abuja.
The concerned parents appealed to both the SGF and the Senate to launch an in-depth and detailed investigation into the matter with a view to exposing these cruel actions against poor handicapped kids and restore their confidence in the system.
The Permanent Secretary of Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Mr. Chinyeaka Ohaa, had directed the immediate suspension of Mr. Ilo Chukwuma and Ebenezer Olateju, during a recent unscheduled visit to school for allegedly molesting female students of the school pending the conclusion of investigations on the matter.
But the concerned parents through their lawyer, Behakong Odey & Associates, have petitioned the SGF, Boss Mustapha and the Minority Leader of the Senate, Philip Aduda, lamenting that on the day of the on-the-spot assessment by Ohaa, part of the complained acts were deliberately shielded, which was the physical assault and battery of the said children, particularly that meted on Bitrus Haruna.
“We write for and on behalf of concerned citizens who have approached us and complained bitterly against actions of teachers meted on innocent poor blind students of the FCT school of the blind whom we shall here after refer to as (our client) and on whose specific instructions we write this appeal.
“Our client visits the school of the blind often and interacts with the students; who had complained to our client about their predicaments in the hands of some teachers in the school which had pre-empted our client mandating our firm to write to the office of the Secretary of the Government of the Federation on July 5, 2019.
“That petition we wrote yielded much result as steps have been taken in investigating the matter and some of the teachers have been placed on suspension.
“However, sadly as it may be, on the day an on the spot assessment was carried out by the Permanent Secretary of the FCT, part of the complained acts were deliberately shielded which is the physical assault and battery of the said children, particularly that meted on Bitrus Haruna,” the petition read.
“These acts if unchecked will continue as the perpetuators have constantly threatened the children not to speak of such assault to anyone. The children now constantly live in fear and need to get this issue resolved together at once; now that an investigation is on-going photographs showing his battered face are here attached.
“Considering the fact that steps have been taken to right these anomalies going on in this school of the physically challenged right at the heart of the Federal Capital Territory, we respectfully beg you Sir to use your kind office and lend your voice for this investigation to be thorough, detailed, complete and final in order to get succor for these traumatized poor children. “
We therefore write and appeal to you Sir, to kindly:
“Cause an in-depth and detailed investigation into this matter with a view to exposing these cruel actions against poor handicapped kids and restore their confidence in the system and hope for a bright future.
“Upon conclusion of investigation, to make sure culprits are prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others in society.
“To protect these children’s Rights and prevent a situation of loss of hope.
“To send a strong signal that any form of deformity is not a barrier to have a human being laid down but a state that can be conquered with love and proper guidance to enable such individual fit properly into society,” it added
