‘We did not sack teachers over student’s pregnancy’

The management of Waziri Umaru Federal Polytechnic Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, yesterday debunked report that five teachers were dismissed from its secondary school for allegedly impregnating an SS3 student.

The Rector, Architect Muhammad Sani Aliyu, while briefing journalists, said the five teachers were actually sacked for extortion and marriage proposals to some female students in the school.

He said the school’s management discovered that some teachers of the school were extorting money from students and also collecting from parents without remitting same to the school’s account.

“In the course of our investigation it was discovered that the same teachers were having friendship affairs with some students but not sexually as reported”, he said.

The rector said the board of the school thereafter set up a committee to investigate the matter.

“After a thorough investigation, the committee concluded that there was indeed relationship between the teachers and students but did not establish that there was any sexual relationship between them. However, the school considered the actions of the teachers as gross misconduct and immoral. It therefore recommended for rules and regulations to be applied”, he said.

Architect Aliyu also maintained that the alleged pregnant student was not dismissed as reported but was enrolled in a public school because of the inability of her parents to pay her WAEC, NECO and school fees.

“The SS3 student in question was not found to have engaged in sexual relationship with the teacher and therefore couldn’t have been pregnant”, he said.

He said the management has no regrets dismissing the teachers because the school is a training ground for children who are being moulded to become future leaders and they must be protected.