Rivers toddler’s death: Proprietress begs govt to reopen school

The proprietors of Wisdom Gate International School in Rivers State are making a heartfelt plea to the state government to reconsider the suspension of their academic activities. The school, located near Port Harcourt, was ordered to close by the state's Ministry of Education following a tragic incident where a two-year-old pupil, Wynnie Akakue, died after a bookshelf fell on her while she slept in the classroom.

“

The children in Wisdom Gate International School are our children. We see that our commissioner is a father, he is our grandfather in this institution. That’s why we are calling on him. He has the right to suspend activities for now.

School proprietress Toyin Obikoya expressed that the suspension came as a shock and appealed for mercy and understanding from both the government and the grieving parents. She highlighted that the continued closure is not only disrupting the education of numerous other children but also rendering teachers jobless. Obikoya emphasized the school's commitment to being a law-abiding institution but stressed the urgent need to resume operations for the sake of the students.

“

But we are telling him that he should please show us mercy because other children’s education is equally at stake. The parents are calling but because we are a law-abiding institution, we can’t do otherwise.

Obikoya also detailed the school's efforts to reach out to the deceased pupil's family, stating that they attempted to communicate through the family's lawyer and even traveled to the pupil's hometown to express their sincere empathy. These efforts were made to engage with the family and convey their sorrow over the unfortunate incident. The school management is now looking for a path forward that allows them to resume their educational mission while addressing the concerns surrounding the tragedy.

“

But these children, where do we turn them to? The period they were writing the exam was when this incident happened, and so we had to close the school. We are crying out that the people should please intercede and see all children as theirs.