Pupil blinded by teacher’s cane demands N100m compensation

Posted by admin Headlines Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011

Miss Blessing Okaeben, a 10-year-old primary four pupil of Okhoro Primary School, Benin in Edo State has demanded the sum of N100 million compensation for damaged right eye suffered as a result of flogging by a teacher on the payroll of the Edo State Government. She said, if within seven days, her demand was not met by the government, she would institute a legal action against the government.

In a letter to the state Governor, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole through her counsel, Mr. Bamidele Igbinedion, the money demanded was made up of N20 milion as estimated cost for her travel, stay, subsistence and medical treatment abroad and N80 million as damages for breach of her fundamental rights to freedom from torture, inhuman and degrading treatment as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and Africa Charter on Human and Peoples Rights and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Igbinedion alleged that, Miss Okaeben, was flogged by a female teacher, simply identified as Mrs. Mercy with a broom in June 2011 for failing Mathematics test.
According to the letter, the teacher after beating the pupil several times with a big cane and not satisfied, seized a bunch of broom and hit her severally on the head, face and eyes.

He alleged further that the teacher called the pupil a “witch” and accused her of being responsible for disturbance in the school, adding that, despite pleadings with the teacher to stop beating her, she continued until Miss Okaeben suffered injury in her right eye.
Igbinedion alleged that the pupil was unable to sleep that night due to the pains in the eye, which had become red and swollen, just as he added that the following morning, her parents took her to the headmistress of the school to report the incident. The headmistress was said to have advised the class teacher to take her to the hospital.

According to the letter, “the teacher took our client to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) eye clinic, where a broken broom stick was later extracted from the eye. The class teacher paid some amount for the treatment and then took our client to a private eye clinic in Benin.

“However when asked to pay further monies for her treatment, the teacher refused, saying that she was pregnant with her own child, so cannot be spending money to treat another person’s child.
“We understand that as a result of the above, our client has suffered blindness on the right eye. She now struggles to see only with the left eye. This has placed intense strain on the said eye, leading to pains on both eyes. Consequently, our client’s school work, play and life have been seriously hampered and her future looks very bleak. Medical expert advised that, the strain on the left eye could damage it permanently, leading to blindness in both eyes.”
The counsel lamented that till date, no disciplinary action has been taken against the teacher.

-Sunwp_posts