Group tackles Abuja authorities over alleged abuse of blind students

A human rights and good governance advocacy group, Make A Difference Initiative (MAD), has accused the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) of levity in handling allegations of molestation and sexual abuse of female students in the FCT School for the Blind brought against two teachers.

In a statement Thursday, the Communication and Advocacy Director of MAD, Lemmy Ughegbe, said the issues of sexual abuse and molestation of children and the vulnerable ought to be tacked with more urgency and openness than the FCTA has done.

“The abuse of children and the vulnerable in our society has become too rampant. It is even more worrisome when the abuse is being perpetrated in a school which should be their safe haven”, Mr Ughegbe said.

He expressed disappointment with the FCTA over “its lack of urgency, decisiveness and openness in dealing with the matter.”

“The only way to eliminate such devious criminal act such as the molestation of children and the vulnerable, in any form, is to move decisively and bring culprits to book”, he said

Read also: Suleja heroines who break stones for peanuts

“Sexual predators must be named and shamed to deter others from the devious act.”

He said the fact that the matter had been on for about two months now without the accused being sacked and charged to court or exonerated is an indication of weakness and lack of will by the authority to handle the matter.

The Permanent Secretary of the FCTA, Chinyeaka Ohaa, had on July 17 suspended two teachers at the School for The Blind, Ilo Chukwuma and Ebenezer Olateju, to pave way for investigation of the allegation of sexual molestation of blind students.

The Permanent Secretary also gave the investigative committee one week to determine if the blind students were abused and submit its report.

MAD said it is concerned that no report has been produced even when the panel was given a week to complete its task.