The
Proprietor of Esteem Secondary School, Obongemem Ekperikpe Ekpo, a former
lawmaker in the National Assembly may risk N10million in damages and tender “unreserved
and duly publicized apology” to Mr and
Mrs Assiununkagh EtukAkpan and their son Master Godswill A. EtukAkpan, a JSS 2
Student in his school for a serious injury sustained by the boy which led to
his second toe being amputated and the big toe “severely disfigured and
scarified”.
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| Master G's second toe on the left leg amputated |
The
boy’s woes started since 20th October 2012 when a driver of the
proprietor named Philip instructed Master Godswill and other students to clear
debris from an uncompleted building within the school premises to pave way for
stacking of floor tiles which were being off-loaded from the Hilux driven by
the said Philip.
Our
reporter learnt that the debris included wooden frames and planks with nails,
used in the construction works of a two-storey hostel building in the
school. The source who did not want to
be named in this report said materials were thrown from atop the building and
that one of the planks thrown from second floor of the building by a student
landed on Master Godswill’s left foot and caused severe injury to his two
toes. The boy was said to have been
taken to Cedar & Olive Clinic in Abak by Philip and one Uncle Isaiah(alias
Mekan), given first aid and brought back to school and the episode continued
for three days.
This
Paper learnt that the parents of Master Godswill were not told what happened to
their son from that day till January 5th 2013and that they only
found out what was wrong with their son when they saw him limping on Friday
October 26, 2012 (six days after the incident) while at the school to pick Master
Godswill and other children of theirs for mid-term break.
The
source said the boy was being taken from home in Uyo to Abak for treatment
since October 26 to December 18, 2012 and that the boy was not in school
because of the pains he was going through, while the driver, Philip and Isaiah
who took the boy to the Clinic initially, allegedly informed the Clinic
authorities to keep the medical bills for the parents of the boy to pick.
The
boy is said to be walking bare foot and going through pains and psychological
trauma of losing a toe due to what Imo Akpan Esq., Solicitor/Partner of James
Essien & Co, Law Incorporated Chambers described as “irresponsibility and
insensitivity of an educational institution where he [the boy] was enrolled for
academic work”.
In
a letter to the proprietor of the Institution, the Solicitors of Mr & Mrs
EtukAkpan said it was not only “worrisome” but “embarrassing” that an incident
of such magnitude could occur and he would not report to the parents, let alone
follow up on the condition or progress of treatment of the said student.
The
letter described the action of the
school owner not worrying about the absence of his student for the better part
of a term from school as “the worst form of sadism and nonchalance exhibited by
an educational institution” which could only bother parents to pay fees and
other charges but could not use same medium of reaching out to the parent for
school fees to report an incident which could have “claimed the life of a child
under their care”, and viewed such negligence as “totally annoying, repulsive,
unacceptable and actionable”.
The
parents of Master Godswill have threatened a Court action against the
proprietor of the school if their demands were not met after 14 days from date
of serving them their letter.
Meanwhile
efforts to reach Obongemem Ekperikpe Ekpo failed as he was said to have
travelled outside the country. When
reached on phone the School Principal who refused to mention his name said he
was not in possession of the new phone number of his boss. The Waves reporter learnt that rather than made arrangement to see
the parents of the student affected, a clergy man was drafted to plead with the
solicitor to forgive the school and temper justice with mercy.
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