A protest by teachers of Alihame Mixed Secondary School, Agbor in Ika South Local Government Area of Delta State on Thursday grounded academic activities in the school.

The teachers were protesting the death of their colleague, Mr. Sunday Ufuah, after he was allegedly flogged by an enraged parent.

The suspect, one Nnajiofor Nweke who is now in police custody, was said to have stormed the school and started flogging teachers indiscriminately for having the temerity to punish his son who was reported to have stolen palm wine outside the school.

The deviant son, a JSS I student, and others, allegedly scaled the school fence and went to the palm wine shop to steal the local liquor.

“Some of the students went to steal palm wine at a shop at the back of the school. When the school authority was alerted on the development, the boys were identified and disciplinary action was taken against them.

“One of the boys, a JSS I student got home and told the father that he was flogged by the teacher,” a source said.

The source said the parent identified as Mr. Nweke stormed the school angrily with a cane and started molesting and flogging some of the teachers, adding that in the process, Mr. Ufuah, the 33-year old Physics teacher collapsed, and died before arriving Agbor General Hospital.

Meanwhile, the state government has assured teachers of adequate in the line of duty.

Commissioner for Secondary Education, Rose Ezewu, gave the assurance during a meeting with members of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in Ika South and Ika North-East councils.

The meeting came on the heels of protest by teachers over the death of Mr. Ufuah.

Ezewu who was in company of the Permanent Secretary, Mr Austin Oghoro and top management staff of the ministry’s field office in the area, also paid a condolence visit to the family of late Ofuah where she offered scholarship to the bereaved children.

She condemned the incident that led to the death of Ufuah, saying that the attack by the enraged parent was an effrontery taken too far.

“The Ministry of Secondary Education feels your pains in this moment of grief over the passing of your colleague of whom I was reliably told, was a calm, intelligent and dedicated teacher who impacted positively on the society.

“I share more in your grief because Mr. Ufuah was one of us in the teaching profession. How irresponsibility has so degenerated in our society to the extent that parents now invade schools to assault their children’s teachers for correcting them calls for concern.

“Whoever does not want their children to be taught good morals should keep them at home. Haven been a committed teacher who died while carrying out his duty, his children are hereby given scholarship which will cover their secondary education,” she added.

Mrs Ezewu while promising them of the support of the ministry assured the teachers and the family of the deceased that the state government under Governor Sheriff Oborevwori would not condone attacks on teachers in the state.

She assured that the state government would act within the confines of the law to make sure that the family of Mr. Ufuah got justice.

The commissioner informed the teachers that the student who was punished for scaling the school fence to fetch palm wine had been caught along with his father and handed over to the police and would be investigated and prosecuted in accordance with the law. (Daily Sun)

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