Following the tragic demise of a teacher from a secondary school in Delta State, members of the Association of Teachers in Ika South and Ika North East local government areas of secondary schools have staged a peaceful protest in response to the death of their colleague, Onyeisi Sunday Ufah. Ufah, their fellow teacher, was allegedly flogged to death by a parent.
The father of the student involved in this incident is named Nweke Nnajiofor, a butcher from Enugu State.
Before the unfortunate incident, Ufah worked as a teacher at Alihame Mixed Secondary School in Alihame, Agbor.
This distressing incident took place on Wednesday, October 18, 2023, on the school premises. The accused parent, who is currently in police custody, reportedly attacked the school in an act of vengeance against his son. The son had climbed the school's fence to access and consume some palm wine that had been taken from an elderly man nearby.
Seeking justice for their deceased colleague and calling for protection from the state government against misbehaving students and their parents who often harass them, the teachers marched in protest through Agbor City.
During the protest, Comrade Isaac Arimokwu, the chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) for Ika South, expressed the teachers' deep sadness over the untimely death and hasty burial of their colleague, Ufah.
Arimokwu urged the government to ensure justice for the late Ufah, describing him as a dedicated NUT member and one of the finest physics instructors in the community.
Comrade Matthew Chima Anyia, popularly known as Chimex and the publicity secretary for the Ika South NUT, lamented the increasing incidents of attacks against teachers, emphasizing that Ufah's death has escalated the situation.
Meanwhile, Sheriff Oborevwori, the governor of Delta State, has condemned Ufah's murder. He cautioned parents and guardians against resorting to unlawful actions against teachers who discipline their misbehaving children and wards, stressing that such behavior is unacceptable in all state schools.
“As a state government, we seriously disapprove of parents intimidating teachers for rightfully administering disciplinary measures against students for bad behavior, as alleged in this case.
“I have directed the state police command to investigate the case thoroughly and bring the perpetrators to justice,” Oborevwori declared.
