The
attention of the NYSC Management has been drawn to stories making the rounds
about the beating of a Corps member, Esi Uwakwe, serving in Kaura Namoda,
Zamfara State, by the police at the instance of an influential indigene of the
area.
Management
wishes to inform the public that findings of investigation launched by the
Scheme show that the facts of the case were grossly exaggerated, especially in
the social media.
Our
findings showed that the Corps member, who is serving in a school, went beyond
his responsibility of teaching and adoption of acceptable approaches to
discipline by causing knee injuries to one of his students whom he instructed
to crawl on his knees.
The
angered father of the student took the matter to the police and in the course
of handling the case, an overzealous officer slapped the Corps member.
Our
position on the matter is that both the Corps member and the policeman were
wrong in their approaches.
However,
we are pleased to note the step taken by the State Commissioner of police, who
invited all parties to his office for amicable resolution of the case.
The
overzealous policeman has since apologized for slapping the Corps member and
the matter has been put to rest.
Management
wishes to stress that the picture of a man with cuts on his back, which is
being posted online, is not that of Corps member Uwakwe, but a
photo-trick intended to cause mischief and further mislead the public.
While
we sympathize with the injured student and the Corps member, whose inexperience
might have resulted in his excesses in his approach to discipline, we wish to
restate that the publicity it generated would have been normal if not for the
exaggeration.
Management
remains committed to safety and dignity of Corps members, but wishes to advise
those on teaching to always exercise caution in handling disciplinary cases and
to, especially refer serious cases to their school supervisors to be on the
safe side.
Mrs.
Bose Aderibigbe, Director, Information and PR, NYSC HQ, Abuja.
Tags
Society