Ekiti sacks teacher for allegedly impregnating student

The Ekiti State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) has dismissed a teacher for allegedly impregnating one of his students. The dismissed teacher, Mr Gbenga Owoosi, who was on Grade level 10 until his dismissal, was an Economics teacher at Alarelu Comprehensive High School, Igbara Odo-Ekiti, Ekiti South local government. Owoosi was alleged to have impregnated a […]

The Ekiti State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) has dismissed a teacher for allegedly impregnating one of his students.

The dismissed teacher, Mr Gbenga Owoosi, who was on Grade level 10 until his dismissal, was an Economics teacher at Alarelu Comprehensive High School, Igbara Odo-Ekiti, Ekiti South local government.

Owoosi was alleged to have impregnated a 17-year-old SS3 girl preparing for the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination.

The alleged behaviour spurred the Disciplinary Committee of Ekiti State TESCOM to embark on a fact-finding mission on the matter.

The Chairman, Ekiti State Teaching Service Commission, Hon. Babatunde Abegunde, told journalists in Ado-Ekiti yesterday that the Commission carried out a thorough investigation on the matter and followed due process before arriving at the decision to dismiss the teacher as deterrent to others who might want to indulge in such “a depraved and unethical act.”

Abegunde, who commended the Ekiti State government “for swinging into action by arresting the culprit”, assured the public that Ekiti values would definitely be restored by the Kayode Fayemi administration by ensuring justice and bringing perpetrators to book without hesitation.

A Board member of the Commission, who is also the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee of six members, Princess Jumoke Owoola, described Owoosi as “a bad egg capable of contaminating his students and fellow teachers.”

The TESCOM Disciplinary Committee alleged that the former teacher had bad records as its investigation discovered that he had once collaborated with some students to steal laptops belonging to the school.

The Disciplinary Committee stressed that the case of the dismissed teacher was treated in accordance with the State Public Service Rules (2017) and Ekiti State Teaching Service manual, which recommended dismissal as the ultimate penalty for serious misconduct and criminal offences of such magnitude.

The Committee also recommended that all teachers should be sensitized on the Gender Based Violence Prohibition Law 2019 and other related issues, and  that schools should be well monitored, with emphasis on moral norms and ethical standard that can uplift TESCOM, in line with the objective of Governor Fayemi at restoring Ekiti values.

It also recommended that the Guidance and Counselling unit of schools be re-organized to meet the present day-to-day challenges of students, in line with school activities.