By; SANI ALIYU, Zaria
An inter ministerial committee has been set up by the Kaduna State Government to investigate Rochas Foundation School, Zaria over a case of severe beating of student, Hauwa’u Salihu by a teacher of the school which caused a grievous hurt to her.
Hajiya Hafsat Baba, Commissioner for Human Services and Social Development disclosed this in a telephone interview with journalists on Thursday in Zaria.
The commissioner said the committee which comprises of herself and the commissioners for Health, Justice and, Education would commence the investigation by August 1, adding that committee would report its findings and recommendations to Governor Nasir el-Rufai.
According to her, the medical expenses incurred by Malam Salihu Umar, the father of the student would also be reimbursed by the state government.
She also expressed dismay over the attitude of Rochas Foundation School Zaria which refused to honour invitations from Salama Assault Referral Centre, Zaria.
Recently one of the national dailies reported that the victim, Hauwa Salihu, student of SS2 at the School sustained serious injuries on the back of her neck and spinal cord following a severe beating by her Mathematics teacher.
Malam Salihu Umar, Hauwa’s father, said that the injured student was still undergoing treatment having been discharged from Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital Shika, (ABUTH) Zaria, where she underwent MRI and City Scan X-rays and she is now undergoing physiotherapy.
The Mathematics teacher, Isah Mohammed was alleged to have used a bamboo stick to flog the girl and her friend during his lesson for failure to obey his instructions.
Speaking on the incident, the victim Hauwa’u Salihu said: “When our Maths teacher, Mr. Isah came into our class, he wrote a note on the board, and instructed that we should not copy till after he explains.
“Unfortunately I and my friend started to copy the note while he was explaining and incidentally he (the teacher) spotted us.
He then picked a bamboo stick which was kept by the school security on night guard in the class and flogged us with it.
“My friend tried to protect herself from the hitting with her hand, and the stick landed on her hand thereby causing grievous hurt on her.”
Hauwa’u said she tried to dodge his beating, but he succeeded in hitting her at the back of her neck.
She added that it was after she returned home that she became so hurt and her mother had to take her to the nearest clinic for treatment.
“As the days passed, the pain continued to increase with my legs and hand going limp that I could hardly move them.
” I was therefore, referred to ABU teaching hospital, Zaria, where I was diagnosed to have sustained a fracture in the neck and that my spinal cord was nearly damaged,” she said.
