By Charles Igbo
Outrage has greeted a trending Video, on WhatsApp, where a Lecturer at the Imo State University, IMSU, was seen slapping a female student.
The Lecturer, identified as Dr Desmond Izunwanne, of the Department of MedLab, School of Health, slapped the yet to be named student in the lecture hall for wearing mufti to class.
The day the ugly incident happened was not disclosed.
For a reason yet to be explained, students in that department are meant to wear uniform to class.
But the assaulted student went to class in mufti. Confronted by the Lecturer, she explained that she was unwell and rushed to the class straight from the hospital. She did not have the time to go back to her room to change.
The aggressive Lecturer was neither satisfied, nor moved by the student’s ill-health.
In response, he slapped her two times, to the shock of the students, and ordered her to kneel down.
Since the video surfaced, reactions have been coming like claps of thunder. Most of those who commented are calling on IMSU’s Authority to kick off an investigation into the disgraceful incident. But before the investigation, they want Dr. Izunwanne placed on suspension until the outcome of the investigation.
The surprise, however, is that there was no reaction from the students. One commentator on Facebook, obviously, a student noted: ‘E be like say una class calm, that lecture don end if na my school.’
Another identified the Lecturer as his Human Psychology teacher at Gregory University, Uturu, and described him as; “Very mean and wicked Lecturer.”
Another person who reacted in a Whatsaap post said Dr. Izunwanne needs a psychological evaluation.
He wrote:
“Today, we were treated to the worrisome sight of a fistful, slappy lecturer of the Imo State University, IMSU who seemed unconcerned dishing some dose of mental trauma to a seated student in the examination hall (today).
“The education system of the country should provide for periodic psychological evaluation of those to whom the younger minds in the formation stage are entrusted. There is no reason for which a student should be exposed to physical abuse at the hands of those to form them in character and learning.
This validates the question of the character of the formators and their employers.
“Our students who left their families in pursuit of formal education should not bear the consequences of the family feuds of their tutors and whatever frustrations besiege their psyche.
Violent and abusive men have no place in our institutions of learning. We are dealing with a lot of moral baggage already and we say no to physical assault of our students who do not find the academic conducive from the heavy money taxations to bulky curriculum amidst hardship and hunger, the Nigerian student deserves an accolade for persistence. But this is us!
“We call on the school authorities of IMSU to investigate Mr. Desmond Izunwanne of Medlab department of the School of Health for exhibiting this undesirable feat of an abusive husband and father who would see the children of others as preys. Upon being guilty, he should be made to bear the full weight of the law.
“Students’ lives matter!!!”
The University is owned by the Imo State Government. At the time of filing this report, there has been no reaction from either the Commissioner for Education, Imo State, or the University Authority.
