News
Court awards N25m to student who became blind after being flogged by teacher
BY: Sandra Ani
A Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja has ordered the proprietress of Cendom International Nursery and Primary School, Olodi-Apapa, Lagos, Mrs Uche Owen, to pay N25 million as damages to a 5-year-old pupil of the school, Destiny Kalu who became blind after he was flogged for not paying school fees.
Destiny had through his father, Inyima Kalu, dragged Mrs Owen and his class teacher, Miss Uduak Sam before the court in 2013 for flogging and inflicting severe injuries to his right eyes over non-payment of school fees.
In his statement of claim, Destiny alleged that on
June 20, 2011, Mrs Owen came to his classroom and flogged all the pupils that
had not paid their school fees.
He stated that the proprietress further instructed their class teacher, Miss
Uduak to flog them severely.
Destiny claimed that while being flogged, his right eye was covered with blood as a result of cane injury inflicted on him by the teacher.
He said the incident left him in pains and tears for several hours unattended to in the schooI premises.
Destiny further claimed that his class teacher neglected him as he bled internally and water gushed out of his right eye all through the school hours, until he was picked up at the close of school by his father after every staff of the school had abandoned him and gone home.
Destiny was subsequently taken to Ajeromi General
Hospital Lagos where he was treated and later referred to Lagos University
Teaching Hospital (LUTH)
At LUTH, the right eye was operated on without success. Doctor’s report
revealed that Destiny’s right eye was permanently damaged and cannot perceive
light as a result of severe internal damage.
Following the permanent injury sustained by Destiny, his father demanded N30 million as compensation from the school.
In her statement to the Nigeria Police after the incident, Miss Uduak admitted that she punished the infant by caning him on the instruction of the principal, Mrs Owen.
However, in her statement of defence, Uduak claimed
that Destiny may have sustained the injury on his right eye during a fight with
another pupil in the school.
The proprietress also denied being responsible for the injuries sustained by
Destiny.
Delivering judgment in the matter after six years of trial, Justice Yetunde Idowu held the two defendants liable for the permenant injury.
Justice Idowu held that the defendants owe a duty of care to Destiny but breached that duty by flogging and inflicting injury on him.
She said: “Caning a child for non-payment of fees is not only wrongful but illegal. It is trite and universally accepted that caning a child does not have positive effect. Flogging is an abuse of a child and domestic violence against a child. It should be discouraged completely as it is contrary to all known best practices and unacceptable.
“The child was under the custody of the 1st Defendant, in her school premises. The 1st and 2nd Defendants, the owner of the school and the class teacher owe a duty of care to the child. The duty of care was breached when the 2nd Defendant on the instruction of the 1st Defendant engaged in flogging the child.
“Vicarious liability basically means that employers are liable for the torts of their employees, committed during the course of employment. A tort is a wrongful act or an infringement of a right (other than under contract) leading to legal liability.
“Damages in the sum of N25 million is awarded in favour of the infant suing by the next of kin.”
•Source: Channels TV report
The Enugu State government has inaugurated a steering committee to eliminate Gender-Based Violence, GBV, in the state, declaring zero tolerance for the social malaise.
The inauguration took place at the Government House Enugu.
The panel, which is chaired by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, draws its membership from the Nigeria Police Force, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ministry of Human Development and Poverty Reduction, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education as well as the Civil Society.
Inaugurating the panel known as the Steering Committee for Strengthening Institutional and Community Responses to End Gender-Based Violence/Domestication of Enugu State Gender Policy using the Oputa Panel approach, Governor Peter Mbah restated his administration’s commitment to not bringing perpetrators of GBV to book, but also putting in place proactive measures – activities, infrastructure, and systems in place to prevent them.
Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said, “We take gender-based violence seriously. We have zero tolerance for it, and in Enugu State, we are ready to go the extra mile to deal with it.
“If you notice, the government has selected people that are very committed to this goal. This is not an activity where we just want to check-off the list. We will track this. We will monitor this, and we will have quarterly engagements on the successes that this particular committee has achieved in terms of reference that we are going to send.
“We will tighten those terms of reference indicators, so that we monitor what we are doing both in terms of cost input and the value added. It’s very important to us. Many people will be involved – civil society, the police and various ministries.”
He however, said that the effort was to protect everyone, men and women alike, as GBV was not restricted to any gender.
“The whole idea is to hold people responsible that are involved in matters relating to gender violence and deter people that by culture or by association get involved in that, protect women, protect our children, and in the case of violence against men, protect our men because most times we misconstrue gender violence to mean women, but it can also be men too.
“We encourage our men to speak out and to make sure they understand that the policy that Enugu State is soon going to domesticate is for everyone, and not only for the female gender,” he stated.
In her remark, Mrs. Enih, explained that the Oputa Panel approach was inspired by the need to cover all local peculiarities in domesticating the policy on GBV, restarting government’s confidence in the members of the panel.
“The approach we are going to use is the Oputa Panel approach, and in the Oputa Panel approach, we are going to tour the 17 Local Government Areas to get firsthand information about what our people are going through because policy is meant for the people, and a policy should suit the people.
“Again, every community has its peculiar problems, so that’s why the government decided that if we have to domesticate the gender policy, we have to hear from the people who own the policy and know the changes that they desire to see. That is the reason we are using this approach.
“The committee members are to also serve as judges. As we gather this information from our people, we will come back to tailor it in a way to suit the people of Enugu State, and then our policy is ready.
“We want the people to know that there is a gender policy for them. I can assure you that when the people are aware that there is such a policy, they will seek for the enforcement of that policy. So, this is not going to be one of those policies that will just lie on the shelf,” she said.
Digital solutions provider, Globacom, has congratulated Christians in Nigeria on this year’s Easter celebration, and urged them to emulate the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
The company, in a goodwill message to the Christian faithful in the country, lauded their perseverance through the Lenten period which preceded Easter. It enjoined them to always promote the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the virtues of the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
“Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”, Globacom added.
The company enjoined all Nigerians to share in the lessons of promoting selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society. It also enjoined all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
Easter is celebrated yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of seamless voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
The Guild of Private Broadcast Managers has extended its heartfelt congratulations to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as it celebrates its 70th Anniversary.
In a congratulatory message signed by the Guild’s National President, Ambassador Patrick Uzoyi-Peters, JP MNGRM, the guild described the milestone as a testament to the NUJ’s unwavering commitment to upholding press freedom, journalistic integrity, and the advancement of democracy in Nigeria.
“For seven decades, the NUJ has played a pivotal role in shaping the media landscape, advocating for the rights and welfare of journalists, and ensuring that the voice of the people remains strong and unyielding. Your resilience, professionalism, and dedication to ethical journalism have been instrumental in fostering transparency, accountability, and national development”.
Celebrating this historic achievement, the Guild’s President, Uzoyi-Peters recognized the sacrifices and contributions of journalists across the nation who work tirelessly to inform, educate, and empower society.
The Guild reiterated it commitment towards collaborating with the NUJ in promoting responsible journalism and strengthening the media industry for the greater good.
While wishing the NUJ continued success, growth, and greater impact in the years ahead, President Uzoyi-Peters prayed that the anniversary serve as a renewed call to uphold the principles of truth, fairness, and press freedom in our collective pursuit of a more informed and just society.
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