The Wife of the Archbishop, Province of the Niger and Anglican Bishop of Awka, Mrs Martha Ibezim, has urged journalists to always balance their report as character assassination is actionable.
Ibezim, who also is the Principal of Queens’ Convent Awka, said this on Friday in a statement she issued to newsmen in Enugu with the title: “Re: Gateman impregnates 3 Students at Queens’ Convent Awka, Anambra State”.
She noted that journalists as partners in progress and societal development agents should strive to get the other sides of any report or story before rushing to the press.
The archbishop wife noted that the online social media report with the title: “Gateman impregnates 3 students at Queens’ Convent Awka” is malicious and fabricated story that have no iota of truth in its entirety.
Ibezim, who is a professionally trained school administrator and lecturer, said that “there was not and can never be such pedestrian story from the school I preside over”.
“Our attention has been drawn to rumours making the rounds, which is maliciously and calculated to tarnish the image of our Convent, the best Girls Secondary School in Anambra State – Queens’ Convent, Awka, Anambra State.
“Queens’ Convent students are on holidays and will resume next week. Before the closure for last term, there was nothing of such unless in the imaginations of such paid peddlers of the malicious, pedestrian and denigrating information against our school.
“The school’s gatemen are four – two elderly and two young men – posted by their company, FEDA Securities and they have nothing to do with the students but their duty posts.
“Our students are prohibited from going to the gate and being seen with the security men. They have nothing to do with where students reside.
“Let’s reiterate that the school only hires the service of a professional security company which posts trained personnel to the school,” she said.
According to her, the issue of committing suicide and jumping from a two-storey building never existed as the students are still in holiday as we speak.
She said: “Those who are peddling the malicious propaganda to run the school’s image down should be ready to present the three pregnant girls at the appropriate time when called upon.
“We are not interested in knowing those used to run negative commentary about our school, but the medium (media) should be able to present the three pregnant students when called upon.,” she said.
“And let us reiterate that there are staff on duty 24 hours in Queens’ Convent, Awka, making it impossible for such thing to happen in the Convent.
“Their matrons have their apartments in the hostels for close monitoring and no male staff has access to their hostels. Only the female staff monitors the students from morning to night and the male activities end in the classrooms and field.”
Ibezim noted that no teacher of the school can malign or speak to the press on such foul language but enemies of the feats recorded by Queens’ Convent recently in state, national and international competitions and examinations where our students are breaking new records.
The principal said that the students of the school are outstanding in WAEC, NECO, Anambra State Essay Competition (1st position); Children’s Day Match Past (1st position) and Provincial Mathematics Competition (1st position).
She said: “The students from the Convent are champions in external competitions, hence the performance in JAMB, WAEC and NECO made the students to gain admissions straight to higher Institutions within and outside the country.
“They participated in WHO IS WHO essay competition sponsored by Hon. Justice T.U Uzokwe for all the secondary schools in Anambra State and they came first and fourth respectively; just to mention a few exceptional performances of the students of the school.
She said that recently, inspectors from the Federal Ministry of Education visited the school for overhaul assessment of the school on Quality Assurance.
The principal said that he ministry officials assessed the school inside out, both the laboratories, library, staff, etc, and equally interacted with the students, school management and parents and their findings showed that the school is doing her best.
“We thank God that the spiritual lives of the students are not neglected as there are numerous programmes to ensure that they grow daily in their relationship with Christ,” she added. (Flowerbudnews)
