BY RITA OYIBOKA
FOLLOWING the tragic death of a teacher, reportedly after being assaulted by a school parent, the Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS), Delta State Chapter, Comrade Kenneth Okoh, has called on the state government to bolster security measures in schools and improve the channels for handling complaints.
In an exclusive interview with The Pointer, Comrade Okoh expressed his concerns over the incident. “It’s unfortunate what happened, but we must rely on the findings of security operatives. They concluded that Mr. Sunday Ufah was not killed by the visitor to the school, despite the apparent coincidence. The investigation confirmed that a parent had come to confront the teachers, but it didn’t escalate into a violent conflict.”
Okoh emphasised the need for better communication between parents and schools. “Going forward, parents need to be educated on how to properly channel their grievances without resorting to confrontations. We also urge the government to employ functional security personnel in schools.
“Robust security measures are essential to prevent intruders from entering school premises, causing harm, or even committing robberies. A functional security system is critical for the safety of both staff and students,” he added.
Addressing the looming strike action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Okorie posited, “We can’t force the government or ASUU to change their stance. The only thing we can do is appeal to both parties, the government to meet ASUU’s demands, and ASUU to consider the future of the students they are educating.”
He appealed for a resolution, emphasising, “It’s important that a compromise is reached, as the dysfunctional state of higher education affects the work we’ve done in preparing students for the next phase of their education.”
