Osuinyi didnt know her daughters case was far more complicated than she imagined or was being told. Currently, the schools student population is 3,558, with girls from every state of the country, of whom about 2,800 are boarders. Det Sgt Graeme Bevington, who led the North Yorkshire Police investigation, was horrified by what happened next. The outcome of that decision you think will land you in trouble might actually help save lifes and make the society a Better place. Aside the poor eating and living conditions of students, the dining hall structure and furniture were squalid and decrepit. The time was 7pm. They expected the ministry to take up the matter and pursue it to logical conclusion. Is climate change killing Australian wine? Queen Ethelburga's is a school for boys and girls between three and 19, founded in Harrogate in 1912. Like her father, Praise wanted to be a chartered accountant. Anne Bronte lived at Thorpe Green as governess to the Robinson family. It was largely hushed up at the time, believes Lesley Hitchen, Queen Ethelburgas press liaison officer. 'The courage and conviction behind their evidence has led to Brian Martin being publicly exposed as the predatory paedophile that he really is. Mr Martin had already stepped down as chair of governors before the arrest and was handing over responsibilities as part of a planned management transition. Evidently, her system had already become severely compromised before her parents were informed of her situation by the school. York. Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? She was 12 years, fivemonths and twoweeks old. Founded on October 10, 1927 during the colonial era, Queens College, the oldest girls-only public school in the country owned by thefederal government, was set up to complement Kings College which had been set up eighteen years earlier in 1909 for boys. To be fair, the rot in Queens College predated Amodus arrival at the college. They are used primarily for security purposes and to assist with significant disciplinary breaches.". She acted as if she was impervious to reason. WebIn 2014 89,800 was transferred to Queen Ethelburgas Collegiate, a private boarding school in York. Years back, her daughter, just about 13 and going to 14 years at the time, brought home a St. Valentines card which she said Oshifala had given her. Some of the students who appeared before the panel were already out of school. It was wrong of her. In the EYFS, it was school policy for staff to cover or stand in front of the cameras to shield the children when the children are changing.. 'Devil's Disciple' serial killer, 70, who was jailed for killing three people and admitting to eight murders Supermarkets pull THOUSANDS of Cadbury dessert products over food poisoning fears. Queen Ethelburga's She also explained that Lami Amodu, the principal of the school at the time the incident happened, never called to condole with the family on the loss of their daughter, although some teachers and members of the schools PTA did. Queen Ethelburga's Unfortunately, the school, over the years, has been losing its allure and shine. In the light of this, and in the interests of transparency, Mr Martin has quite rightly decided, for the duration of the investigation, to step aside from his day-to-day involvement with the school.". She used money that was meant for an incoming administration to pay debts owed by her own administration. However, I am so confident that more cans of worms will be opened and many more people will be found guilty of punishable offences if the case is really looked into. Queen Ethelburga's College. Wonders shall never end. Its capacity had been overstretched. By the time the incident was over, Amodu had succeeded in forcing the parents to part with more money in employing additional cooks for the school. They highlighted the case of a student, Busayo Adesanya, an SS2 student of the school, who could not return to the college because her mother, a widow, could not afford the various arbitrary levies. The situation in QC is same in some if not all the unity schools in the country. Former Queen Ethelburga's chair of governors arrested Impunity is When criminals still raise their head high in the face of glaring malfeasance. We leave you all to God, to nemesis and to conscience. She has God to judge her and for posterity to assess her tenure at QC. Britain's rock solid support for the Royal Family: With Charles' Coronation just four days way, a major poll LORD ASHCROFT: The monarchy has to change, but the King has time and goodwill on his side. However, in January, 2017, some concerned parents had approached the schools management following complaints from their wards. I want to let the public know that the CCTV installed during my tenor was not to monitor our girls but for security reasons brought about by the Boko-harram adoption of girls in the North East of the country. 01423 333333 Speaking in an interview with TheCable, St. Matthew Daniel, accused the Nigerian media of also being part of the cover-up by not digging deeper on the issue when the ministry exonerated the teacher. TheCable would like to inform readers that the interview with Mrs. Beatrice Akhetuamen, former PTA chairman of Queens College, is on tape. Hence my reply. On February 5 when the meeting held, it was a large house as many parents and guardians attended in good numbers. As far as these parents were concerned, the N3 million was simply a thank you gift from Akhetuamen to Osime for the corrupt schemes they both ran in partnership. The girls were manifesting signs of skin, vaginal and abdominal infections. Despite their pleas and appeals, the principal, alongside other members of the school management, did not pay much attention to their apprehensions and complaints. Queen Ethelburga's Collegiate Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in, Queen Ethelburgas School in North Yorkshire denies the devices were put in to monitorminor disciplinary breaches, Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile. She was an orphan. to make an informed decision. For six weeks, TheCable made several efforts to speak with the officials of the federal ministry of education in Abuja, and despite complying with all the bureaucratic demands, the newspaper was still unable to get an official response. Queen Ethelburga's When TheCable interviewed Akheatuamenon the parting gift to Osime, she said it was not inappropriate as other unity schools in the country also honour their former principals in the same manner. WebLittle could she have anticipated the scandal that was to result. The couple were informed the only paediatric surgeon available had closed for the day and would not be able to return to work that night. The sewage treatment plant installed in 1991. Again, while the parents expected to hear what other steps she planned to take towards controlling the epidemic, Amodu announced to the gathering that she had warned students and staff never to call parents when children were sick in the college. However, the director of press, Chinenye Ihuoma, has promised to arrange an interview. It was the same day the school was shut down on the advice of the Lagos state health ministrywith day facilities opened only for those in examination year. Of the 3m handed to you as pseudo-gratuity, how much is left? TheCable learnt that when Osime completed her tenure at Queens College, it was through her recommendation that Amodu also got posted to Queens College. Did you know with a Digital subscription to Yorkshire Post, you can get access to all of our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Both schools were established for the instruction of children of the elite. They were afraid of being victimised. Queen Elizabeth died on September 8, 2022. Two other students, Vivian Osuinyi and Bithia Itulua, had died a few weeks earlier. A college whose students once upon a time had the best results in the West African Senior Secondary School Examinations has since lost its torch. I am a parent in QC and your administration did nothing except siphoning money meant for the welfare of the girls, you carry yourself so high after becoming the PTA chairman such that to even answer question from fellow parent become an headache, you are not fit at all for a PTA chairman because all that interest you was just your pocket and all personal gains from your position then. Well I know beyond any reasonable doubt that my administration did the best for Qc within the limit resources at our disposal. It was only when the crisis started that the school decided to give them bags of pure water from the factory. Start your Independent Premium subscription today. And to make matters worse, she has so far refused to appear before the investigative panel set up by the PTA despite being invited.. Entertainment magnate Brian Martin, now 71, sexually abused a boy and girl boarder while using his position as Chairman of the Governors to groom them. In it, he allegedly requested lets get closer. Surveillance concerns over private school with 500 WebQueen Ethelburga's Collegiate Thorpe Underwood Estate,York,YO26 9SS, UK. Umars official position was not stated in the letter. They went mostly into private pockets. Like a candle in the wind, the girls light was blown out abruptly. Akhetuamen, a close ally of the former principal, gave her a controversial parting gift of N3 million on behalf of Queens College PTA. Dec 7, 2022 Congratulations @Shrewsbury_Foot on your victory today. Queen Ethelburga's College is at Thorpe Underwood, between Harrogate and York, On board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry. And even when a Good Samaritan medical officer who saw the seriousness of her case went out of her way to create one for Bithia, the absence of a paediatric surgeon at the hospital would eventually lead to her transfer to General Hospital Randle, Surulere. Making money from the water factory thus became the main concern of those at the helm of affairs in the college. Specifically, her mum was informed Vivian had high temperature and was being treated with antimalarial drugs. Your comment..i believed that all the people mentioned in this murdering of our girls children of Oueens were all true ,even before the PTA chairwoman was elected she vow to be better than the men that held the position ,but on getting there she became more like semi god herself N pqc osime,because both of them has the backing of military general behind them as their husband, Im sure they will not go unpunished all of them with their husband, childrens, N family, including properties aquired through falsehood God shall deal with them in Jesus name they shall die a painful death by heavenly storm fire. It has been observed that some parents/guardians of students under the guise of Concerned Parents, are in the habit of using social media platforms through which they spread false and negative information aimed at tarnishing the image of the Federal Unity Schools and inciting other parents/general public, parts of the letter stated. 7. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Of course, the officials at the federal ministry of education ministry in Abuja were also complicit in the declining standards, insiders told TheCable, insisting that they looked the other way at the rot in the school even while they were aware of all that was going on in the college. The girls body would later be released to her uncle for burial after an autopsy was conducted. WebQueen Ethelburgas has been awarded the highest grading of Excellent across all schools and areas by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI), praising the pupils outstanding We cant go on living with fear of victimization and intimidation. She lambasted the media for failing in its responsibility to the country and the students. Did you commission a water project as a means of raking in extra cash for yourself? In other countries, when the government and politicians are failing, it is the media that make things happen. 'The students who attended the school considered it to be safe and family oriented, and Brian Martin was a key figure at the school. QEs Early Years Foundation Stage provision in Chapter House was also assessed as Outstanding in all areas. The present situation where students pay close to one hundred thousand naira (N100,000) by way of various levies in a school that is tuition-free is absurd and unimaginable, they complained. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Dr Chaunjie Zhou is attempting to sue Queen Ethelburgas College, near York, after they removed him from his role for failing to ensure that some of his pupils were placed in supervised accommodation during school holidays. Vivian didnt spend up to 24 hours after being placed on admission and receiving treatment at the hospitalbefore she died on February 15. VideoOn board the worlds last surviving turntable ferry, I didnt think make-up was made for black girls, Why there is serious money in kitchen fumes. Had the parents done this, perhaps more drastic measures would have been taken to avert the losses. But parents werent the real targets. The look of love! Its a shame that a heartless woman like you managed such an school. Children died and all she cared about to set straight is her haters and what cable man asked her. The relationship between her and the old girls was thus a cat-and-mouse one. Perhaps the officials at the federal ministry of education had more important matters to attend to than bother themselves with a mere allegation. Akhetuamen is currently being probed for the way she handled the associations finances by the current excos of the schools PTA having left just about N1.5 million in the account, although her administration is alleged to have raised about N370 million from parents. 'They have finally had justice for what they have had to endure for so long.'. A former chair of governors at a North Yorkshire private school has been arrested in connection with an alleged historical sexual offence. His statement said: By moving under-performing pupils into the faculty and moving out performing faculty students into the college, theoretically the school can always claim to be UK top number one in the North regardless of their actual academic performance.. National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. Should we go on the streets and take the law into our hands? On Amodus handling of the rot in the school, Matthew-Daniel believes the former principal cannot escape blame as she allowed so many wrongs to take place under her watch which have now come back to haunt her. Lily James steals the spotlight in a dramatic leather gown as she flies Met Gala 2023: Kate Moss, 49, slips into a pink lingerie inspired gown as she coordinates with lookalike Met Gala 2023: Brooklyn Beckham looks lovingly at wife Nicola Peltz as she wears a flowing white gown with Bill's in Vogue! On the issue of her dress sense, Akhetuamen explained that as a fashion designer, she has no apologies for her style as she always ensures she dresses trendy to be able to attract clients. Editors Note: In the second part of the CRY FOR JUSTICE series, TheCable unveils Lami Amodu, PhD, the principal of QC at the time of the epidemic. Curiously, the ministry of education did not respond to the petition until two months and four days later. Reacting, Akhetuamen, said the attack from her former deputy was as a result of her failure to achieve her inordinate ambition of becoming chairman of the QCPTA. As a temporary measure, it promised giving bags of sachet water to the students from the water factory that the PTA had constructed for the school. Her family members struggled to hold back tears and parishioners of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), where Praise was a member of the teenage choir, wore mournful looks; others, especially her schoolmates and classmates, intermittently shook their heads in sorrow. And there was the concerned mother of a former Queens College student who travelled all the way from Canada to meet the panel and report some of the teachers alleged atrocities. In essence, while the welfare of the students ought to be the primary priority of the water project, it was instead put as secondary. WebAn Excellent rated (ISI 2019) co-ed independent day & boarding school comprising of the College, the Faculty, Kings Magna & Chapter House. 'He's been dead for 130 years and can still satisfy the ladies': Social media goes wild over mystery woman Cancelled? We also warned that the health and wellbeing of those students were in danger. A millionaire businessman who bought a boarding school so he could abuse pupils on his country estate with links to the Bronte family has been jailed for three years and three months. You can't be seen The reason pathologically wicked and opportunists persons like Amodu, Akhetuamen, Osime and Oshifala still walk around is because kind hearted folks have not stood up and added their voice to this impunity. Looking at this issue closely, one would see racketeering at work. In conjunction with Beatrice Akhetuamen, the chairman of the schools PTA at the time, Osime was accused of setting up a huge system of milking parents dry. Queen Ethelburga's Collegiate - Wikipedia It had been on for some time but got really bad during the tenure of Ekwutazia Osime, her predecessor who was principal between 2012 and 2015. Two years later, she also lost her mother, Banke, a business woman. Unfortunately, almost all the victims who appeared before the panel told the members they wouldnt be able to appear before the investigative panel set up by the federal government. We gave those reports to the federal and state governments and they chose not to do anything about it. A sorry dormitory out of bound to even the girls mothers. We are in court lets see the end of this. Some parents also question the former PTA chairmans sense of judgement. Of course, Eric and Sussana were no longer themselves at that moment as they prayed and hoped that nothing tragic would happen to their beloved daughter. I would not want to duel much on this issue since it is already a matter in the court. This was after her parents, Eric, a business professional and pastor, and Sussana, a teacher, had tried in vain to have her treated at the General Hospital, Gbagada, where they had been informed there was no bed space earlier that day. Barely two weeks later, more students started falling sick. Surprisingly, TheCable investigations revealed that when the water project was completed, it was never extended to the students hostels. Bithias kid sister, Jemimah, who just secured an admission to the Queens College, also informed TheCable that her elder sister wanted to become an astronaut and equally create inventions. The negligence by the school management to respond to complaints and years of decadence and rot of facilities in the college as well as the failure of officials of the federal ministry of education in Abuja in effectively and efficiently performing their regulatory and oversight functions over unity schools in the countryapparently resulted in the tragic deaths of the three girls. However, most of the parents were surprised when Amodu, while addressing them, announced that only a few students visited the sickbay and this was as a result of the beans they were served the previous day. However, she made the payment from the money parents had contributed to run a fresh school term by our incoming exco. Some of the students had their baths on balconies and even defecated in nylon bags which they threw into bucket latrines, aside damp floors and dirty walls in dire need of painting. Meanwhile, there was a particular weekend the students did not have their lunch until 6pm. Queen Ethelburga's Students and their parents were watched closely. They accuse her of wearing clothes that sometimes expose her frontal privates which was unbecoming for someone of her status as the schools PTA chairman, more so when she was expected to be a role model to the girls. I deeply appreciate but as a civil servant Im not allowed to talk to journalists. While Queens College in its nine decades of existence has no doubt helped in national integration and capacity building, it has also arguably produced high-profile and powerful inspiring women and leaders who continue to make impact in various fields within and outside the country. EXCLUSIVE: High-ranking Met Police officer on 100,000-a-year who was found to be a regular user of THIRD foreign rapist remains in Britain despite orders for him to be sent back to Jamaica in 2020 - after Could a hormone spray reignite your love life? It was completelyabandoned. To compound an already bad situation, sewage-contaminated water was used for cooking. WebQueen Ethelburgas School in North Yorkshire - which charges fees of up to 34,000 a year - denied allegations from the Independent School Inspectorate (ISI) that the devices 2023 BBC. Its facilities have become stretched beyond capacity and the education and health of the girls severely at risk owing mainly to the over-admission of students, overcrowding of hostels, poor quality of water and sanitary conditions in the school. There and then,they decided to move Bithia to LUTH. Getting admission for your ward at Queens College is therefore dependent not on his or her qualification but on who you know as a parent and the money you could afford to give away. She responded: Thanks for taking time to ask. Although Osime has since retired from public service, her exit from the school was not without some drama and bitter memories. As a way out, the former principal immediately started an underground campaign against them aimed at clipping heir wings. Charlotte is daddy's double! Although N3 million was given to former principal Osime as a parting gift and captured in the PTAs 2016 Statement of Accounts, only a token N100,000 was listed in the same document as having been spent in supplying drugs to the schools sickbay, a published copy of which TheCable got. Fggc sagamu is a disaster waiting to happen too, and is high time something is done before it becomes a scandal too. Additionally, some concerned parents who had set up a WhatsApp group as a platform to interact and discuss matters of mutual interests as Queens College parents were also ordered by the management to close the platform or risk their children being expelled from the school. Lord have mercy! "Like most independent schools, Queen Ethelburga's makes use of CCTV cameras for security reasons," the statement said. One thing I know is that this is not coming from majority of patents but from Mrs Mann recruited alies. In 2014, 2015 and 2016, Queens College was not amongthe best performing schools, according to results released by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC). TheCable investigations revealed that between January and March 2016, many students of the school fell ill and were admitted to the sickbay of the school. A CCTV camera inside school compound but who watches the authorities? Unfortunately, the Nigerian media kept quiet over the matter, she said. He then stunned parents by mothballing the building and moving the pupils into a new school on his own country estate at Thorpe Underwood Hall, Ouseburn, near York. They were also stooling and vomiting. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Many of them explained that their daughters had reported different forms of infections and some among them had even been hospitalised during the period the school was on break in December. A time will definitely come when we will be. Interestingly, their ailments and symptoms were similar. A number of parents today disagree with the former PTA chairman on her financial stewardship especially John Ofobike, her successor as PTA chairman, and Julie Mann, her own vice chair who served during her tenure. "The report refers to concern among some pupils that the cameras might be used to monitor minor disciplinary breaches such as kissing and queue jumping. The circular banned old students from their alma mater, although indirectly. It also ceased functioning since 1997 and was abandoned. A brilliant young girl who won scholarships and various prizes in her kindergarten and primary school days, she was rushed to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) on February 20 around 8pm. WebSchool has a lot of money to throw at Departments. In view of the foregoing henceforth, the child/ward of any parent/guardian found to be using the social media to spread false and negative information or incite other parents, will be withdrawn from the College. And you know the kind of country we are in. She further explained that she left only N1,571,000 in the schools PTA account because she had to pay outstanding to contractors who handled a new hostel building completed by her administration as it would not be right to pass the debt on to her successor. Members of the panel included all these in their report. Over and beyond Oshifala, we wrote a detailed report about what we observed in the college.