Teachers at the Federal Government Girls College, Calabar, Cross River State on Tuesday staged a peaceful protest to the Cross River State House of Assembly over alleged assault by operatives of the Department of State Services.
The teachers, under the umbrella of Trade Union Congress, Cross River State chapter, said they were in the assembly to register their grievances over an event that occurred in the school on February 2.
Clarkson Otu, the state Chairman of TUC, who spoke on behalf of the teachers, said they came to demand for a thorough investigation of the matter and to call for justice.
Otu said: “We are here to register our grievances over the invasion of FGGC Calabar on February 2 by officials of DSS, where they flogged a teacher before his students.
“And when other teachers demanded to know why, they were beaten thoroughly including a Vice Principal of the school.
“The DSS operatives also shot sporadically into the air and caused serious commotion in the school premises.
“We have come to demand for a thorough investigation of the matter by the authorities and the culprits brought book.
“Sir, we demand that this matter must not be swept under the carpet. That is why we are here.’”
The TUC chairman said that the teacher was beaten for disciplining his student, who, thereafter, made a call to her mother and she in turn contacted her sister who is a DSS official.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the protesters carried placards which read: “Stop this oppression”; “Enough is enough”; “No more oppression from DSS”, among others.
The protesters submitted a letter which was received by the Clerk of the house on behalf of the Speaker who was not available.
The Clerk, Bassey Ekpenyong, commended the TUC for the peaceful protest and described the DSS action as very unfortunate, adding that teachers should be treated with dignity.
Ekpenyoung said: “All of us here were trained by teachers. So, let us treat our teachers with dignity.
“I want to assure you that we will ensure that justice is done in this case. We will ensure that nothing but justice is done.”
NAN.
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