IT is really saddening that humanity is rapidly diminishing among citizens across the country, especially in respect of the sacredness and sanctity of human life. Gory tales of violation of people’s right to life have become a daily occurrence. Active theatres of war and terrorism in the rural areas of the North, where Boko Haram terrorists, bandits and killer herdsmen hold sway and engage in blood-curdling activities are not the only places where reckless decimation of human lives happens: the lawlessness has spread to streets, homes and even classrooms across the land. Recently, a teacher at Arise and Shine Nursery and Primary School, Asaba, Delta State, one Emeka Nwogbo, reportedly flogged a 19-month-old baby, Obinna Udeze, to death for, of all things, playing with water!
The teacher, allegedly with the active participation of his mother and proprietor of the school, one Mrs Ogbo, was said to have administered 31 strokes of the cane on the innocent child, which allegedly led to his death. The incredible incident raises a lot of posers: what kind of orientation do Nigerians really have about education? Are children of Obinna’s age supposed to be in school and taught in a class setting at all? What manner of a teacher gives a child of one year and seven months 31 strokes of the cane but does not expect anything untoward to happen to the baby? Where did the teacher receive his training, and is he actually of stable mind? Why kill a child because he played with water, which is a natural response by children in that age bracket? It is difficult to wrap one’s head around the intention of the teacher, and what he had hoped to achieve from the high-handed and weird chastisement of a baby.
The narrative seems to beggar belief but the suspect himself has reportedly said he flogged the deceased as he ought to flog a baby, and that Obinna’s demise must have been occasioned by some other underlying factors. With that comment, there is, at least, an overt confession that he actually flogged the baby. But must he beat the baby at all? Pray, how do you even flog a baby without dire consequences? How can anyone give a baby 31 strokes of the cane and expect everything to remain normal with the baby? And assuming but not conceding that the child had ailments, it is evident that the heavy beating he received from the teacher aggravated such ailments, which culminated in his death. And for a child who was apparently punished for being hyperactive, the suggestion of underlying sickness by the wicked teacher seems to be clearly out of place.
The society needs to calm down and moderate its expectations from children at such an early age. Why such a hurry to stampede children into adulthood, and doing so in a crude and brutal manner that could lead to their untimely death or turn survivors to savages? It is concerning that Obinna’s case is not an isolated one; some cases were reported recently and there are a lot of other incidents of teachers’ callousness and brutality that go unreported. Indeed, another teacher has just been arrested in Lagos State for giving a two-year-old child 24 strokes of the cane and refusing to apologise for her cruelty. What is the society turning into? Why would teachers who are critical stakeholders in children’s character formation and development be subjecting children to such fundamentally flawed experiences? It is no wonder, then, that there are so many irresponsible and unfeeling young people out there in the society who engage in dastardly and atrocious acts that degrade humanity without qualms.
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There are those who are reading spiritual meanings and connotations into the muckle of horrendous events that verge on killings and shedding of blood in the land. And not a few people have actually bought into that line of thought, and understandably so, because of the spate of senseless and seemingly intractable killings across the country. But that line of thought is not only faulty but also escapist, as it tends to absolve from culpability those who should take responsibility for their hideous actions and those who have a duty to prevent the needless killings in the first place. Therefore, we urge that the erring teacher should be thoroughly investigated and diligently prosecuted together with his accomplices, and to be severely punished according to the law if found culpable. That would serve as a deterrent to his ilk and those who may want to tread the same odious path. Even if the postmortem on the remains of the deceased reveals that underlining sickness was responsible for his death, the cruel and irresponsible teacher should still be severely sanctioned. No adult in their right senses should batter a child of 19 months for the purpose of correcting what is not even tantamount to an error for a child of his age, let alone a teacher who is supposed to be abreast of the stages of child development.
The recent abduction and killing of five-year-old Hanifa in Kano by her teacher/ school proprietor, the recent incident of brutality to another child in Lagos by an unremorseful teacher and the instant case of the killing of Obinna have made it crucially imperative that relevant government agencies across the the country step up their monitoring and supervisory roles over schools, whether private or public. It is gratifying to note that some private sector investors have intervened to fill the yawning gap left by the government in the education service delivery in the country. However, such welcome intervention cannot be a licence to do whatever pleases them, even if it breaches the law. They must be made to play by the rules.