Rivers toddler’s death: Proprietress begs govt to reopen school

The management of the Wisdom Gate International School, Eligbolo, near Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where a two-year-old pupil died, has appealed to the Rivers State Government to reconsider the suspension of its academic activities.

Also, some stakeholders appealed to the government and parents of the pupil, Wynnie Akakue, who passed on from injuries after a bookshelf fell on her while she was asleep in the classroom, for intervention and understanding in the midst of the unfortunate incident and grief.

Recall that following the March 17 incident, parents of the deceased, Dr Iasuaka Akakue and Mrs Chinyere Akakue, had cried foul and accused the school of a cover-up while insisting on justice for their daughter.

Following the public outcry, the state government ordered the suspension of Wisdom Gate International School, Campus 1, Elimgbo.

The state Commissioner for Education, Dr Peters Nwagor, in a statement, said the school will remain shut and barred from resuming activities until all issues surrounding the incident are fully addressed and resolved.

But speaking to newsmen in Port Harcourt, some parents of pupils said the continued closure of the school was already taking a toll on them, saying it is negatively affecting their children in addition to putting the teachers out of a job.

The Proprietress of the School, Toyon Obikoya, said the suspension of academic activities came as a shock to them but pleaded with the government and the parents of the late pupil, who was in their care when the sad incident occurred, for mercy and understanding.

She stated, “The children in Wisdom Gate International School are our children. We see that our commissioner is a father, he is our grandfather in this institution. That’s why we are calling on him. He has the right to suspend activities for now.

“But we are telling him that he should please show us mercy because other children’s education is equally at stake. The parents are calling but because we are a law-abiding institution, we can’t do otherwise.

“But these children, where do we turn them to? The period they were writing the exam was when this incident happened, and so we had to close the school. We are crying out that the people should please intercede and see all children as theirs.”

Obikoya reiterated that the school remains saddened by the incident and is extending its sincere empathy to the parents of the pupil, adding that the school management has made efforts to reach the family of the pupil.

“The family demanded that we speak to them through their lawyer and so on. Knowing this, we moved to his hometown in Tai, Ogoni kingdom, to reach the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese, who led us to the grandparents of our dear pupil. And we reported the incident that happened and shared our sincere empathy with the family and then we left.

“Afterwards, the management of the school equally travelled to Etche to see the Bishop. Why we did all of these is just to see how we can reach the family, not to intimidate or to show pomposity.”

The proprietress also said the matter has been taken to court, pointing out that the school is a law-abiding entity and will not obstruct any investigation into the matter.

One of the pleading parents, simply identified as Cynthia, described the incident as heartbreaking, saying, “It’s really heartbreaking. I’ve lost a child, so I understand the pain the parents are going through.

“There is nothing we can do to bring back the child but we are pleading for empathy, for a little compassion because we parents, it’s really difficult for us. Wisdom Gate, they’ve been good academically, morally.

“Please have mercy on behalf of my co-parents. It’s difficult for us. We are confused. Most of us are not sleeping well. Like me, my blood pressure is rising.”

While sharing in their grief, the parents also raised concerns about the continued closure of the school and appealed to the state government to consider the impact on the other pupils and students.

“It’s a pathetic case. Putting myself in the parents’ shoes, of course, I may have done worse pleading. I don’t even know which way. Changing schools for my daughter right now is causing me arm. It’s very expensive but then we are not trying to monetise their pains.

“But we are pleading with the teachers here who will be out of a job. Closing the school is going to put us in a very big problem. I’m not saying they shouldn’t do what they want to do but we are asking for mercy at this time,” another parent said while fighting back tears.