The Anglican Diocese of Awka in Anambra State, on Friday, debunked claims that a gate man attached to its school, Queen’s Convent School, Awka, had impregnated three students of the school.
There have been reports that the young gate man, who hails from Akwa Ibom State, had put the three students who are said to be in Senior Secondary Two (SS 2), in the family way.
It was gathered that trouble started, when one of the pregnant girls attempted to take her life by jumping down from the upstairs of the hostel, but was prevented by fellow students and teachers.
It was also learned that the students of the college had been complaining to the school authorities over the activities of the gate man, but the school authorities allegedly ignored their complaints.
The gate keeper was said to always adorn ear rings with body tattoos which he flaunted to deceive gullible, innocent students of the college.
It was further gathered that the Principal of the college is the wife of the Anglican Archbishop on the Niger, Most Rev. Dr. Alexander Ibezim.
According to one of the teachers who spoke on condition of anonymity, “Some of us did not like the idea of bringing young men of about 28-30 years as security men in a female school.
“Even the students wanted old men who will treat them like their daughters, but it was a collective decision by the authorities, yet, their own daughters are not here.
“Now that the bubble has burst, whom do we blame? How will the parents of those students take it?” the source asked rhetorically.
But in a swift response, the Anglican Diocese of Awka has described the reports as malicious and calculated to tarnish the image of the Convent, which it dubbed the best Girls Secondary School in Anambra state.
In a statement on behalf of the Diocese, the Director, Media, Publicity and Communications, Diocese of Awka, Comrade Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, revealed that Queens’ Convent students are on holidays and will resume next week.
According to him, before the closure for last term, there was nothing of such.
He explained that the school’s gate men are four- two elderly and two young men posted by their company FEDA Securities, insisting that they have nothing to do with the students but their duty posts.
“Our students are prohibited from going to the gate and being seen with the security men. They have nothing to do with where students reside.
“Let’s reiterate that the school only hires the service of a professional security company which posts trained personnel to the school.
“The issue of committing suicide and jumping from 2 storey building never existed. Those who are peddling the malicious propaganda to run the school’s image down should be ready to present the three pregnant girls at the appropriate time when called upon.
“We are not interested in knowing those used to run negative commentary about our school, but the medium (media) should be able to present the 3 pregnant students when called upon,” it said.
The Diocese maintained that the Principal of the school, who is the wife of the Archbishop, Province of the Niger and Anglican Bishop of Awka, Mrs Martha Chioma Ibezim, has made it clear that there was not and can never be such pedestrian story from the school she presides over.
It further noted that no teacher of Queens’ Convent can malign or speak to the press on such foul language, except enemies of the feats recorded by Queens’ Convent recently in local, state and international competitions and examinations where the students are breaking new records.
The Diocese described as unfortunate, the fact that the publishers of the reports, who are all resident in Awka and believed to have unrestricted access to the Archbishop, the Principal of the school and other officers of the school and the Diocese including the Director of media and communications of the Diocese, decided to go to go on with the news to tarnish the image of the school, without a word or effort to verify from their information.
“Even when the attention of the publishers of the online platform were drawn to know why the malicious publication without a contact from the institution, their reply wasn’t professional, but we wouldn’t want to join issues with them, as probably the platform was bent on having the image of the school and Diocese tarnished.
“They broke the news to get clicks, and ignored the simplest thing they would have done since the next door to them is the man to verify the story from,” it said.
