The Akwa Ibom State government said their is no cause fior alarm in its investigation into the alleged complain of neglect, starvation and molestation by a parent against the Management, Staff and some Students of Deeper Life High School, Uyo.
The State governor, Dr Emmanuel Udom, according to a statement signed by the commissioner for information and strategy, Ini Emehobong, had directed a full investigation into the matter.
The Commissioner had according to the statement swung into action by visiting the parents and the child who is the subject of the alleged infractions and consequently invited the parents, the boy, school management, the accused students with their parents and named witnesses, to the Ministry of Education for a fact finding meeting.
According to him while the investigation was on going, the Attorney General of the State notified the Commissioner of Education of the concurrent investigation of the same matter by the Police and the interest of several international Organizations like the United Nations Special rapporteur on Human Trafficking, Mirabelle Center, FIDA Akwa Ibom, Sexual and Gender-based Violence Response Unit of the Ministry of Justice, Akwa Ibom State among others.
It was therefore advisable for the Commissioner for Education to hands off the investigation and allow the Police, which is the proper government agency to handle allegations of crime, to take over.
The medical report from the private hospital where the child had been taken for examination and treatment by his parents has been received, while the child has been taken for further medical investigations at the Agape Sexual referral Center, with the consent of the parents and all interested parties.
Mr Emehobong said the State Government is committed to the revelation of the truth of the circumstance and is determined to prosecute anybody found culpable of any wrongdoing while adding that at no time did the Commissioner for Education or any staff of the State Government, harass or intimidate the parent or the affected student, or anybody connected to the matter.
The government appealed to the public to exercise patience for a thorough investigation to be carried out by the Police and other relevant institutions on the matter.
He said the State Government will upon receipt of the reports take necessary actions.
