School Teachers Protest Alleged Beating Of Colleague In Aba

Teachers at the Secondary Technical School, Ogbor Hill, Aba, Abia state have protested the alleged beating of their colleague by Miss Mercy Obodorukwu.

 
The teachers who marched to the Zonal office of the Secondary Education Management Board in Aba decried the activities of the children of Chief Harris Obodorukwu whom the school was recently handed over to by the Abia State government.

 
One of the teachers who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity said that they were gathered for the filing of forms sent by SEMB when one of Obodorukwu's children, Mercy invaded the Principal's office, barking orders at them to leave what they were doing and return to classes.

 
She said that all efforts to make her see reason to allow them complete the assignment were not heeded as the Mercy scattered the documents they were handling and pushed their head teacher, Mrs Harbour down to the floor.

 
The teachers lamented that Mercy Obodorukwu and her sibling simply known as Jaro have constituted themselves into a terror to the teachers and students, leading to parents gradually withdrawing their wards from the school.

 
They further alleged that discipline has gone down in the school as the students no longer respect their teachers as Obodorukwu's children continues to assure them that they will be promoted whether they pass or fail their examinations.

 
The teachers also recalled how a Senior Secondary 1 student nearly lost her life when one of the Obodorukwu's children, Onome who teaches Chemistry forced her student to test a chemical solution and the girl started gasping for breath and were later resuscitated at the hospital.

 
Addressing the protesting teachers, a representative of the Deputy Director, Aba Zone of SEMB, who gave his name as Dr. Nwaoha told them to write a formal protest letter, assuring that it would be given serious attention. He assured that his office would soon visit the school.

 
When our correspondent visited the School located along Opobo road to get the reaction of Obodorukwu's children on the allegations, two policewomen stationed at the gate said the latter were not around and added that the place was a no go area for journalists.