The Abia head teacher

CITIZEN Maryleen Ezichi, the head teacher of a primary school in Amaetiti Asaga Ohafia in Ohafia Local Government Area of Abia State, is currently a dejected woman.  For an alleged offence described as “impunity and lack of respect for constituted authority”, she has reportedly been demoted to a class teacher and transferred to Ukwa-East Local Government Area, which is about 140 kilometres from her former school. Ezichi had reportedly solicited the governor’s wife’s help in interceding on behalf of teachers in the state so that the backlog of salary arreas and allowances being owed them could be cleared.

Ironically, the occasion at which the vilified woman made the clearly harmless request would appear quite auspicious. It was during the interactive session with the governor’s wife after the inauguration, in Mrs. Ezichi’s school, of the free meal initiative championed by her for primary school pupils. Apparently, Ezichi mistook the laudable venture as a measure of genuine interest in the educational development of the state and so she mentioned the teachers’ angle to the realisation of that objective. But she was grossly mistaken and did not realise it until two days after when she was allegedly whisked to Umuahia, the state capital, and handed a letter of redeployment with instructions to proceed to her new station with immediate effect.

It is important to note that Mrs. Ezichi would have been clearly out of order if she had addressed any official of the state government like she did because that would not have been in sync with the proper and approved channels of communication.  But the wife of the governor is not an official of the state government and Ezichi, being an experienced civil servant, must have taken that liberty to address her in her capacity as the mother of the state. Unfortunately, the aftermath of that encounter was unsavoury for her.

It is interesting that the critical stakeholders in the Abia State government have feigned ignorance of this odious and pernicious development. The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Eyinnaya Appolos; the governor’s wife, Mrs. Nkechi Ikpeazu and the Commissioner for Education, Professor Ikechi Mgbeoji, have all claimed to be unaware of Ezichi’s predicament but promised to investigate the matter. It is, nonetheless, hoped that these officials were not trying to buy time in the hope that the attention of the public would soon shift to other odious developments which Nigeria’s sociopolitical space is never bereft of. What is  obvious, however, is  that  no  one  wants  to  be associated with the patently oppressive and morally reprehensible act, but human beings and not spirits must have carried out the alleged demotion and transfer of Ezichi.

Whatever the case, the hounded head teacher should be reinstated and restored fully to her rightful position. This is the irreducible minimum action that the Abia State government should take immediately. It is the most appropriate and civilised path of honour.   No one should attempt to link the poor woman’s predicament to any cause other than her encounter with Mrs. Ikpeazu in order to justify this naked injustice and tyranny. And if we may interrogate Mrs. Ezichi’s alleged sin, what is out of place in pleading with the wife of the governor to intervene so that  teachers’ emoluments are paid? What can be embarrassing to the governor’s wife in seeking her assistance to get the state government to properly motivate the teachers so that they can become more effective and productive? Is Abia the only state in the federation that owes workers salaries?  Or are salaries and allowances not being owed teachers in the state?   In any case, Mrs. Ezichi simply made a request for assistance which the governor’s wife was not under any obligation to grant. What then is the justification for the ill-advised punitive measure allegedly taken against her?

It is rather unfortunate that the real significance of wielding power is somewhat alien to many leaders in this clime. The beauty of power, whether traditional, religious, economic or political, lies in the extent to which it is used to positively impact the environment and humanity. This is especially so for political office-holders who indeed hold such power in trust for the public. Power should not be an instrument to oppress, tyrannize or cause pain and distress to others for the personal aggrandizement of the holders or those associated with them.  It is in this light that we urge that Mrs. Ezichi’s demotion and transfer be reversed immediately, not only in the interest of fairness and justice but in the spirit of abhorrence of any vestige of oppression in the land.