For Justice, Queen’s College 3 Cry Out
TQueen’s College, Yaba, Lagos: Fallout from the 2017 Epidemic he first Saturday this year, I attended a reunion of my Queen’s College (QC) classmates. The issue of the young ladies that died during the QC epidemic in 2017, arose. I asked what the position was, had anybody been prosecuted? I almost fell down from my chair in shock and disgust, when one of my classmates, Alayo, a Lawyer like myself, told me that Dr Lami Amodu who was the Principal of QC at the time of this horrible incident, is up to date, not facing any criminal charges with the other members of her team, but had in fact been transferred to head another school as Principal! How unfortunate.
In which civilised country does that happen? In other countries, like Japan for example, first and foremost, the Minister of Educa- tion would have bowed down to the QC Parents and all Nigerians many times in shame, disgrace and remorse, and he/she would have resigned his/her appointment immediately.
In Nigeria, our own case is different. We use the ‘old boy network’, tribalism and whatever is usable, to get away with atrocities. The whole incident seems to have been swept under the carpet, only to be forgotten. And this is supposed to be a Government of Change and Accountability? Can the Parents of those who lost their lives ever forget? Do the lives of these lovely, innocent girls, whose only crime was to go to school to get an education so that they would eventually become useful to themselves and their families, mean nothing to Government, while those that seem to value the lives of cattle over human beings, get away with senseless killings? What kind of people are we becoming?
Even if Dr Amodu and her cohorts have not faced trial or have not been convicted of any crime (yet), with the scandalous magnitude of what occurred, and the strong allegations brought against them, especially as to trying to ‘gag’ the students and their Parents while the epidemic/plague was ravaging the students, and not getting them adequate medical attention on time, she and her team should have at least been placed on indefinite suspension, until such a time that a court of competent jurisdiction found them not guilty, and they are declared to be competent enough to be again put in charge of such student responsibilities.
Almost one year after the ugly incident, no one has been brought to book, when there are serious criminal implications in their acts and omissions, even up to Manslaughter, if not Murder. After all, precious lives were lost. The unhygienic and inhumane conditions that the QC had to live in, is also a breach of their fundamental rights contrary to Sections 17(2)(c) & 34(1)(a) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria.
Praise Sodipo, Vivian Osuinyi and Bithia Itulua, yes, those are the names of the three innocent girls who lost their lives due to wicked, reckless, grossly negligent, among other acts and omissions of the Authorities. Those responsible must not be left to go unpunished.
A Senate hearing on this matter was scheduled for yesterday. Most of us, National Assembly Members included, are Parents, and even if we are not Parents, we are human beings. I hope the Senate treated this matter with the gravity that it demands, and paved the way for the
perpetrators of this horrible crime to be prosecuted. Doing nothing, will only further reiterate the fact that Nigeria is sinking more into an abyss of anarchy, directionlessness, and hopelessness.