Additionally, some concerned parents who had set up a WhatsApp group as a platform to interact and discuss matters of mutual interests as Queens College parents were also ordered by the management to close the platform or risk their children being expelled from the school. I would not want to duel much on this issue since it is already a matter in the court. Parents, old girls and activists have called on President Muhammadu Buharis administration to use the Queens College tragedy as an opportunity to prove its anti-corruption credential by making scapegoats of the officials who failed in their duties. DS Bevington added: 'The bravery shown by the victims in this case to speak out against their abuser cannot be praised highly enough. It doesnt come as a surprise, its is a common malaise of most civil servants to demonstrate the behaviours you exhibited as administrator of QC. Hence my reply. She acted as if she was impervious to reason. Parents/Guardians are, therefore, advised to desist from such unwholesome acts.. A brilliant young girl who won scholarships and various prizes in her kindergarten and primary school days, she was rushed to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) on February 20 around 8pm. However, the house of Queens College PTA is divided. Some parents also question the former PTA chairmans sense of judgement. Even if the panel cleared Mr. Oshifala in the absence of any evidence of wrongdoing due to the fact that Chinenye Okoye didnt appear, but does that foreclose any possible incident? Thanks to her new 16m Harry Potter TV deal, it's JK Rowling who's having the last laugh over Scientists discover what happens seconds before you die - activity in the brain and heart RAMPS UP, Trendy hard floors could be to blame for your foot pain (and there is a simple way to stop it). Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? A test conducted by the health ministry on the food handlers in the college also revealed that they there were carriers of amoebiasis, typhoid and tapeworm. Should we go on the streets and take the law into our hands? And this is usually carried out along with intravenous fluids and antibiotics. Anthony Anwukah, the minister of state for education, would later tell journalists Oshifala had been cleared of any wrongdoing by the investigative panel set up by the ministry to investigate the matter mainly because of the failure of the victim or her mother to appear before the committee. Although Osime has since retired from public service, her exit from the school was not without some drama and bitter memories. Read about our approach to external linking. Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of the doctors and nurses to ensure that she fully recovered, she gave up the ghost on March 30, 2017 around 6:30pm. Bithia, a JS 3 student, was the second child in a union that produced three daughters. The reason pathologically wicked and opportunists persons like Amodu, Akhetuamen, Osime and Oshifala still walk around is because kind hearted folks have not stood up and added their voice to this impunity. Unfortunately, they said they didnt send us such errand. They highlighted the case of a student, Busayo Adesanya, an SS2 student of the school, who could not return to the college because her mother, a widow, could not afford the various arbitrary levies. A number of parents today disagree with the former PTA chairman on her financial stewardship especially John Ofobike, her successor as PTA chairman, and Julie Mann, her own vice chair who served during her tenure. What a pathetic story! I believe with the second Law suit instituted against me by Mrs Mann whom I still repeat had an inordinate ambition of becoming the Chairman of Pta if she had succeeded in making the house to impeach me, the truth will come out. However, the situation didnt get to the public then because there was no casualty. His statement said: By moving under-performing pupils into the faculty and moving out performing faculty students into the college, theoretically the school can always claim to be UK top number one in the North regardless of their actual academic performance.. Posterity will never be kind to you, whatsoever. I feel the pains and anguish the parents and families of the dead girls are going through, only God can console them Still, Amodu refused to give parents any hint that such was the colleges reality. The Lord will judge your conscience and all others that are your collaborators, the blood of the dead innocent children will hunt you if by your action or in-action you have hand in their death, they also deserve life just like your own children. 'He's been dead for 130 years and can still satisfy the ladies': Social media goes wild over mystery woman Cancelled? Here is what we found. The monarch reigned for an impressive 70 years. Disaster was just a ticking bomb waiting to happen. He should search his conscience, did he really win the election? Why Amodu, a mother herself, would choose to act this way still confounds parents and students who spoke to TheCable. One of Martin's business addresses was the Monk's House which was the home of Branwell while he was tutor to the Robinsons' son. Wonders shall never end. There are in fact 501 CCTV cameras across the whole 200 acre site, of which 451 are specifically used by the school. Majority of British public think Charles should not apologise for slavery, new poll shows, Even most republicans see no benefit in abolishing the monarchy, new poll reveals. "Whilst the investigation has no implications for the current welfare and safeguarding of the pupils at the school it is important that it should be thorough and full. On Amodus handling of the rot in the school, Matthew-Daniel believes the former principal cannot escape blame as she allowed so many wrongs to take place under her watch which have now come back to haunt her. When Amodu took over from Osime, many parents rejoiced. The girls were manifesting signs of skin, vaginal and abdominal infections. He said: "Queen Ethelburga's Collegiate today confirmed that the former chair of its governing body has stepped aside from his day-to-day involvement with the school whilst a police investigation is carried out into an allegation of an historic sexual offence. Well I know beyond any reasonable doubt that my administration did the best for Qc within the limit resources at our disposal. Aside the poor eating and living conditions of students, the dining hall structure and furniture were squalid and decrepit. These were monies which were paid in cash and not receipted. Holding the torch parents take a dim view of Amodus tenure. In it, he allegedly requested lets get closer. It is high time we stop thinking about the consequences of taking the right decision at crucial times. Barely two weeks later, more students started falling sick. Getting admission for your ward at Queens College is therefore dependent not on his or her qualification but on who you know as a parent and the money you could afford to give away. Throughout my time here, I have found The Kings Theatre to be a wonderful venue to support our goals to offer a fantastic programme of drama, music, dance, comedy and film. The Federal Minidtry of Education guidelines States that the Chairman should be an ex- official for three months I believe this is to be able the guide the new exco. WebQueen Ethelburga's Collegiate Thorpe Underwood Estate,York,YO26 9SS, UK. You attacked Mrs. Mann, Mr. Offorbike and Even TheCable. However, Amodu shouldnt be the only culprit, she told TheCable. The circular, issued from the office of the director, human resource management in the ministry, was signed by M. B. Umar, on behalf of the education minister, Adamu Adamu. She used money that was meant for an incoming administration to pay debts owed by her own administration. The schools five vice principals academic, administration, special duties, junior school and student affairs were also there. Allegations of corruption continue to dog the conduct of its officials as the schools under their watch deteriorate. In this special investigation into the deaths of three students of Queens College, Lagos Vivian Osuinyi, Bithia Itulua and Praise Sodipo between February and March 2017, OFEMI KOLAWOLE unearths the history of rot, negligence, corruption and regulatory failure that prepared the way for the tragedy. Akhetuamen, a close ally of the former principal, gave her a controversial parting gift of N3 million on behalf of Queens College PTA. We are in court lets see the end of this. For instance, the state-sanctioned tests revealed that pathogens like toxin producing E.Coli, Diarheogenic E. Coli, Novo virus, E. Coli STEC, Salmonella Spp. WebThe table below features the A-level league table results of the top UK independent schools published by The Telegraph. A number of the window panes were broken and mosquito nets torn. Some of the students who appeared before the panel were already out of school. God Bless Nigeria. Interestingly, while old students, the world over, are being encouraged to return to their former schools and render every support they can, Nigerias federal ministry of education is forbidding them from doing so. The rankings are based on the percentage of A and A* grades achieved by students who took A-levels in 2022. Charlotte is daddy's double! A former chair of governors at a North Yorkshire private school has been arrested in connection with an alleged historical sexual offence. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Bithia was already gone. WebQueen Ethelburgas Collegiate consta de 4 colegios: Chapter House (de 0 a 10), Kings Magna (de 10 a 14), Queen Ethelburgas College (14 +), The Faculty of Queen Ethelburgas (14+) Programas academicos ofertados GCSE, iGCSE, AS Level, A Level, BTEC, GCSE en 1 ao, curso preparatorio al bachillerato, Foundation Courses a partir She still refused to accept the real cause of the problem. She informed the panel that she decided to fly all the way from Canada, incurring travel expenses, just so Oshifala could be brought to justice and no longer pose a threat to other girls in the school. Some of the illegal fees and levies imposed on students by the schools PTA/school management, as highlighted in a January 7, 2015 petition by a group of concerned parents to the education ministry through their lawyers, Kenneth Aigbe & Co, included: N89,500 building levy imposed on new students admitted during the 2014/2015 academic session, duplication of maintenance and medical bills by the PTA and school management, CISCO levies without the services being provided to students, another special levy of N5,000 per term for each student, a mandatory payment of N2,000 extra lesson fee, and another N5,000 per student for Skool Media. WebLittle could she have anticipated the scandal that was to result. At this It was Lawrence Otun, her uncle and a printer who is in his 40s, who later took her in and became her guardian. It was completelyabandoned. But parents werent the real targets. She didnt want to die. Cons Incredibly toxic SLT. to make an informed decision. The ministry would later reveal to the public that health records from the schools sickbay indicated that that no less than 1,200 pupils had come to the schools sickbay between January 15 and February 15 on account of abdominal pain, fever, vomiting and diarrhoea as a result of the gastroenteritis epidemic. The circular was just what Amodu was looking for. The circular banned old students from their alma mater, although indirectly. "But their use is tightly restricted. Queen Ethelburga's @qethelburgas An Excellent rated (ISI 2019) co-ed independent day & boarding school comprising of the College, the Faculty, Kings Magna & Chapter House. She realised about N370 million during her tenure. For six weeks, TheCable made several efforts to speak with the officials of the federal ministry of education in Abuja, and despite complying with all the bureaucratic demands, the newspaper was still unable to get an official response. Mr Martin was also arrested on conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and voyeurism, police said. I hope all those involved in this mess are brought to book. And you know the kind of country we are in. Therefore, rather than an improvement on her arrival at Queens College, things only deteriorated under Amodu. It was wrong of her. In essence, while the welfare of the students ought to be the primary priority of the water project, it was instead put as secondary. "The report refers to concern among some pupils that the cameras might be used to monitor minor disciplinary breaches such as kissing and queue jumping. Bithias kid sister, Jemimah, who just secured an admission to the Queens College, also informed TheCable that her elder sister wanted to become an astronaut and equally create inventions. We leave you all to God, to nemesis and to conscience. In 2014, 2015 and 2016, Queens College was not amongthe best performing schools, according to results released by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC). As far as these parents were concerned, the N3 million was simply a thank you gift from Akhetuamen to Osime for the corrupt schemes they both ran in partnership. Surprisingly, TheCable investigations revealed that when the water project was completed, it was never extended to the students hostels. Did you commission a water project as a means of raking in extra cash for yourself? TheCable would like to inform readers that the interview with Mrs. Beatrice Akhetuamen, former PTA chairman of Queens College, is on tape. No. Ferry runs aground with baby on board after smoke in engine room, Nurses strike continues: Major disruption for NHS services in England, Additional flight to evacuate Britons from Sudan today, Ryanair cancels 220 flights over May 1 bank holiday due to strikes, Hardcore coronation fans already camped outside Buckingham Palace, One dead and seven injured in Cornwall nightclub knife attack. Praise got admission to Queens College from Unilag Staff School in 2013 as the only candidate admitted to the 90-year-old institution on merit from Osun, her state of origin. Hundreds of images of naked women and Instead, they became lily-livered and chickened out, bowing to constituted authority when they were supposed to maintain their stand. As a temporary measure, it promised giving bags of sachet water to the students from the water factory that the PTA had constructed for the school. We are in pains, Osuinyi told TheCable. 'It was due to his success as a businessman that he was able to purchase Queen Ethelburga's School which he moved from Harrogate to the Thorpe Underwood Estate where he lived with his family. On April 7, 2017, when Praise Sodipo, a senior secondary school year one student of Queens College, was buried at Atan Cemetery, Yaba, Lagos, it was a gathering filled with pains and heartaches. One moment, she would tell her mum about her school, the next moment she would talk about family matters before moving on to another unrelated issue entirely. Queen Ethelburga's is a school for boys and girls between three and 19, founded in Harrogate in 1912. Some of the students had their baths on balconies and even defecated in nylon bags which they threw into bucket latrines, aside damp floors and dirty walls in dire need of painting. He claimed it could be the the biggest scandal in British education history. Dec 7, 2022 Congratulations @Shrewsbury_Foot on your victory today. Because they couldnt fathom the fact of Oshifalas exoneration by the government panel on the technical grounds that his accusers failed to come to the public to prove their case, they concluded that the matter was a clear case of cover up by the school management and the ministry, a view widely shared by students and parents we spoke to. While Queens College in its nine decades of existence has no doubt helped in national integration and capacity building, it has also arguably produced high-profile and powerful inspiring women and leaders who continue to make impact in various fields within and outside the country. According to doctors, even with maximum treatment, the risk of death can be as high as 50 per cent. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. She was an exceptional student and was already on her way to achieving this before her untimely death. For example, an inspections and monitoring team from the federal education quality assurance service in the education ministry had visited Queens College in 2016 and wrote a report which indicated that the college had critical challenges especially in the areas of sewage treatment, water and the dining hall. FOR NOW, LET YOUR CONSCIENCE JUDGE YOUR STEWARDSHIP AT QC. There is no way such woman will end well. WebCrime Owner of York boarding school Queen Ethelburga's jailed for historical sexual abuse of pupils The owner of a boarding school near York who preyed on vulnerable students Moreover, Queens college management as well as the education ministry virtually outsourced their responsibilities to the colleges Parent Teacher Association (PTA) an association that was to more or less play a supportive role became one saddled with the responsibility of paying teachers, cooks, and providing money for chemical treatment of water in the college. But if Vivians sudden death was not bad enough, another student of the college, Bithia Itulua, would die on February 22, exactly a week later. The principals were mandated to bring the contents of the letter to the notice of all parents. The investigation took him to three states Lagos, Ogun and Edo as well as the federal capital territory, Abuja. Emergency surgery is often a required intervention for treatment. Queen Ethelburga's College is at Thorpe Underwood, between Harrogate and York, On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry. The state commissioner for health, Jide Idris, also told journalists that results of tests carried out on water facilities in the school remained unsatisfactory and the school would remain shut. Umars official position was not stated in the letter. Founded on October 10, 1927 during the colonial era, Queens College, the oldest girls-only public school in the country owned by thefederal government, was set up to complement Kings College which had been set up eighteen years earlier in 1909 for boys. Laila St. Matthew Daniel, a rights activist, was the chairperson of that fact-finding body. Anybody that has any sense about the way things work here would know that, definitely, the sex scandal involving Oshifala was swept under the carpet to the detriment of the student because there was too much of a mess that involved the ministry itself. Sources at the school told TheCable that admission spaces were sometimes sold for N250,000 or even higher. On February 5 when the meeting held, it was a large house as many parents and guardians attended in good numbers. Read about our approach to external linking. Inasmuch as it is unfair to judge based on hearing from one side, so many misdemeanours can be drawn from your looks, dressing and the effrontery mustered to even talk on this platform. Meanwhile, there was a particular weekend the students did not have their lunch until 6pm. She responded: Thanks for taking time to ask. The achievement of my administration in Qc speaks for itself if we are not appreciated now. WebWe wish to share a huge thank you to Queen Ethelburga's Collegiate for allowing us to offer such a fun and vibrant season to our local community. On the issue of her dress sense, Akhetuamen explained that as a fashion designer, she has no apologies for her style as she always ensures she dresses trendy to be able to attract clients. She was buried at Atan Cemetery, Yaba, on February 23, 2017. #TeamQE WebWas finally caught when the children he was filming in the mixed sex changing at the local pool spotted his phone under the cubicle. It was largely hushed up at the time, believes Lesley Hitchen, Queen Ethelburgas press liaison officer. However, not wanting to take chances, the woman left the familys Orile-Coker residence immediately for Queens College and got there around 7pm. It was a lost battle. By then, it was evident that the water situation in the school was the causative factor. To calm the rising tension in the school, Amodu decided to call a PTA meeting to engage the parents. She said the allegations were from her detractors. The millionaire, who moved to the village of Ferensby, near Harrogate, has been placed on the Sex Offenders' Register. WebQueen Ethelburgas is an Excellent rated Collegiate (ISI 2019). Dr Howard Britton, 64, taught economics at fee-paying Queen The outcome of that decision you think will land you in trouble might actually help save lifes and make the society a Better place. WebQueen Ethelburgas has been awarded the highest grading of Excellent across all schools and areas by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), praising the pupils outstanding They accuse her of wearing clothes that sometimes expose her frontal privates which was unbecoming for someone of her status as the schools PTA chairman, more so when she was expected to be a role model to the girls. Whatever I was doing then and even doing now is for posterity so that the right thing at least can be done for once in Queens College and the education ministry becomes more responsible to its obligations, she said. She died after being rushed to the Lagos Sate University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, following the epidemic at Queens College arising from the contamination of the schools water sources. WebQueen Ethelburgas Collegiate has been graded as Excellent across all all areas of the school by the Independent Schools Inspectorate. She was 12 years, fivemonths and twoweeks old. She described her daughters death as the greatest shock of my life. The present situation where students pay close to one hundred thousand naira (N100,000) by way of various levies in a school that is tuition-free is absurd and unimaginable, they complained. Is climate change killing Australian wine? EXCLUSIVE: High-ranking Met Police officer on 100,000-a-year who was found to be a regular user of THIRD foreign rapist remains in Britain despite orders for him to be sent back to Jamaica in 2020 - after Could a hormone spray reignite your love life? It was the same day that the college was shut down on the advice of Lagos state government through its ministry of health, with day facilities opened only for those writing their examination year. It was only when the crisis started that the school decided to give them bags of pure water from the factory. She further explained that she left only N1,571,000 in the schools PTA account because she had to pay outstanding to contractors who handled a new hostel building completed by her administration as it would not be right to pass the debt on to her successor. Video, On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry, Met Gala 2023: Stars celebrate Karl Lagerfeld, Shooting suspect was deported four times - US media, Yellen warns US could run out of cash in a month, Photo of Princess Charlotte shared as she turns 8, King Charles to wear golden robes for Coronation, More than 100 police hurt in French May Day protests, Explosion derails train in Russian border region. All I want is for him to be asked if he ever released money for purification of drinking water after I left office this he did in bitterness that I did not follow money hungry people to campaign for him when he wanted to come into office. The girls found a way to report the incident to their parents who also took up the matter with the former principal. She accused them of unjustly hating her and trying to replace her with someone from within their ranks. The millionaire made a fortune in insurance and ran a string of companies including entertainment and equestrian businesses. At that point, the schools leadership could no longer play the ostrich. Although Vivian had never been sick at the school prior to that time, her mum felt there was really nothing to fret or worry about. The time was 7pm. She threatened that any student caught doing this would be punished, including those using phones to contact their parents and report all that was going on in the school. Of the 3m handed to you as pseudo-gratuity, how much is left? Praises intestines had become perforated as a result of typhoid occasioned mostly by the consumption of contaminated water and foods, according to the doctors who treated her. However, she made the payment from the money parents had contributed to run a fresh school term by our incoming exco. It should be noted that the only recognised body by government, through which parents collectively address these issues relating to their children in the FUCs is the Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs). The Met Gala's heavenly bodies! In conjunction with Beatrice Akhetuamen, the chairman of the schools PTA at the time, Osime was accused of setting up a huge system of milking parents dry. In the light of this, and in the interests of transparency, Mr Martin has quite rightly decided, for the duration of the investigation, to step aside from his day-to-day involvement with the school.". Entertainment magnate Brian Martin, now 71, sexually abused a boy and girl boarder while using his position as Chairman of the Governors to groom them. The students usually had their breakfast between 7 and 7:30am while dinner was usually 6:30 and 7pm daily. Parents had to drop their daughters at the hostel gate and go no further. Reacting, Akhetuamen, said the attack from her former deputy was as a result of her failure to achieve her inordinate ambition of becoming chairman of the QCPTA. She was joined by her brother Branwell, but his time there was to precipitate the crisis that led to his death. This is really pathetic. Amodu had been appointed the executive secretary of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) in April 2007 by former President Olusegun Obasanjo even though she was relieved of that position barely four months later during the early days of the Umaru Musa YarAdua presidency. We shouldnt wait until theirs a casualty to do the needful. Generally pays well. 'The school was supposed to be a safe place for the victims, and they should have been able to trust all adults and staff at the school. Osuinyi accused the college authorities of hiding the truth from parents even at PTA meetings.

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