THE mother of the Junior Secondary School (JSS2) student of Queen’s College, Yaba, Lagos, who claimed a teacher assaulted her daughter, yesterday failed to appear before the Federal Government panel set up to investigate the allegation.
The six-man panel headed by Mr. Paul Boyo, began sitting on Wednesday by visiting the alleged scene of the crime and other vital places in the college for first hand information.
As at Press time, the woman has not picked up her letter of invitation by the panel which was routed through the Parent- Teacher Association (PTA) of the college, as a member.
The panel started taking oral and written presentations from those invited yesterday. The Principal and the Vice Principals appeared on the first day.
The woman, who accused Mr. Olaseni Osifala, Senior Secondary 3 Biology teacher of sexual assault and management of looking the other way, was billed to appear before the panel alongside the principal, but she did not come nor was she represented by a lawyer.
According to our source, when the panel commenced sitting yesterday and it was her turn to appear, she was nowhere near the venue of the sitting.
Security was beefed up at the gate of the 89-year-old college and the venue of the sitting even though some staff monitored to see if the woman would make an appearance at the panel.
As at 3.05pm, the woman and her daughter did not show up but Daily Sun learnt she would be allowed to face the panel if she shows up today or before the panel concludes its sitting.
Several persons including Mr. Osifala, who was accused by the woman, are expected to appear today (Friday) including some parents and students of the college.
Osifala confirmed on phone that he would honour the invitation today and explained that his visit to the Lagos State Police Command did not yield positive result as the Commissioner for Police was not around.
He also revealed that he was supposed to be at the command headquaters yesterday, but had to call it off to prepare for his appearance before the panel today.
As at 5.30pm when our correspondent checked on proceedings at the panel, the woman and her daughter did not show up and our source asked: “Daily Sun, are you expecting to see the woman at the panel. I have told you several times that she does not exist.”
Commenting on the sitting of the panel, a Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. Tony Ezimah, who has been monitoring the alleged sex scandal, asked the Old Girls Association that claimed they conducted investigation and found it to be true to produce the woman and her daughter.
Mr. Ezimah said the old girls and the various blogs operated by some old girls who went to town accusing the teacher of the assault and the college management of covering up, should prove their claim by bringing the woman before the panel.
He wondered why the woman who posted the allegation against Mr. Osifala online failed to pick the panel’s letter of invitation and that efforts to reach her proved abortive. He declined to say what would happen if she failed to appear before the panel, saying, “there is still time’’.
Culled from Daily Sun
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