The Nigeria Customs Service has denied insinuations that his officers beat up a secondary school teacher in Ibadan, Oyo state last week, saying that as people who were once thought by teachers; its personnel will never assault any teacher.
The Nigeria Customs Service has denied insinuations that his officers beat up a secondary school teacher in Ibadan, Oyo state last week, saying that as people who were once thought by teachers; its personnel will never assault any teacher.
Speaking officially for the first time since the incident which has drawn a lot of flaks from a cross section of Nigerians, including the Oyo State House of Assembly, the Nigeria Customs Service disclosed at the weekend that it has investigated the matter and found out that there was no iota of truth in the allegations.
According to a statement by Customs deputy public relations officer, Joseph Attah, “a team of Customs officers led by a Deputy-Comptroller of Customs of the Oyo/Osun Command swung into action by making fact-finding visit to the school as well interrogating the officer and the students”.
The following were the findings of the Command as already made available to the public.
That on Friday 27th January 2012, the student ALISON CHUKWUEBUKA an SS3 student of the United Secondary School Ijokodo Ibadan, had some disciplinary issues alongside other students and were punished.
That the boy got caught badly by the cane causing scars and bruises.
The teacher in question reported him to the Vice principal of the school who incidentally is the Guardian of the boy in the school.
On seeing the bruises and scars, she asked the boy to invite his father.
The Customs Officer (parent) went with his wife and the son to see the Vice principal who mediated.
At a point when the student was waiting outside with the mother an argument/quarrel ensured between them and the Teacher who was there. This attracted other students, teachers and officers passing by the neighbourhood. (the school is near the Customs Barrack)
The Vice principal came out and immediately brought the situation under control after which both the Teacher, parents (Customs officer and wife) the boy were all taken to the principal who had just returned to office.
The principal after listening to all and seeing the scar and bruises and in a bid to further cement the already controlled situation offered N 5,000 for medical treatment.
Expressing shock at the way the case was twisted against the Customs officer, the PRO stressed that neither ‘the school authority nor the National Union of Teachers lodged any complain or report against any officer to the Command. It was purely a school, parent and student friction that was supposedly settled between them.”
The Service consequently concluded that the teacher in question was probably scared of the state of health of the student, “and in order to cover his tracks wrote petition to the NUT and House of Assembly only for the Service to get to know through the media.”
And apparently conscious of the negative implication of allegedly beating up a teacher, the Customs expressed worried that is has been portrayed as an institution that breeds people who have no respect, especially for teachers, it stressed that the public impression “is unacceptable and is not in consonance with high level of discipline and professionalism that the present Management of the Service has worked hard to build in Officers and Men.”
“As people who have passed through teachers, our very high regards for teachers who we know are working as hard to build the Nigeria of our dream should never be in doubt”, the statement which also included two pictures of the students showing lacerations on his back, apparently from the alleged beating, concluded.
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