It
is with pleasure that I write to seek for space in your widely read Newspaper
in order to draw attention of certain authorities to the dangers that the
public is exposed to. My message is as follows;
THE
MINISTER OF BASIC AND SECONDARY EDUCATION AND THE INSPECTOR GENERAL OF THE
POLICE SHOULD INTERVENE.
As
a resident of Bakau Mile 7, I witnessed that some students belonging to West
African international School (WAIS) are bent on driving cars in a dangerous
manner near the school premises. The school is located close to the
Independence Stadium in Bakau. This was since last year. Students run at top
speed, take short curves, and dive while using cars in the said vicinity.
Sometimes we passers-by and students have to run for safety.
Last
year, I walked with a witness into the Principal’s Office and notified her. She
told me that she would strictly implement school rules regarding student usage
of vehicles.
However,
the problem is still persistent and this shows that she was fooling me. She is
blaming the police for not coming to her school to impound cars engaged in such
unwarranted behavior.
In
my opinion, the Principal should be in a position to identify and report those
students to the police. On their part, the police at Kairaba Police Station
told me that it would be dangerous for them to conduct patrols around the said
school, as students run away at top speed in order to escape the police.
The
police even told me that they have a vehicle in their possession at Kairaba
Police Station which caused an accident while trying to escape the police. They
said some students inside the said vehicle were injured while the student who
was driving has escaped and up till now he cannot be traced.
Yes,
sometimes non-students are also bent on such a dangerous practice. I have
already provided to the mobile unit of Kairaba Police Station details of a car
used by a non-student in the same area on Friday 14th October, 2016. I do not
know whether the police will take it as a serious concern to trace the car.
The
police told me that they had engaged the Ministry of Basic and Secondary
Education in dialogue over such a longstanding practice around the school,
particularly during last graduation ceremony held at the school.
Unfortunately,
such a dialogue is yet to be finalized since last year. Maybe the Ministry is
trying to turn a blind eye to such student behavior, which is putting lives of
others at risk.
I
am telling the Minister that the practice is still persistent. I will not
notify the school Principal again, because she was fooling me when she said the
school rules will be applied. She is instead casting blame on the police for
not being able to trace those engaged in the practice which is taking place at
her school.
Someone
told me under condition of anonymity that once the police impound private cars,
some civil servants would intervene because they are parents to some students.
This leaves the police in a dilemma because if they are flexible to appeals of
civil servants, then they (police) would be exposing themselves to public
criticism.
In
conclusion, both the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education and the IGP
should tackle this problem at WAIS. It would be unfair to the police that after
impounding vehicles, then civil servants intervene to get their cars back
because they are parents or guardians to those students.
The
Ministry should take the principal of WAIS to task for not controlling the
students since last year. Some people passing by the school to go for Friday
prayers at 1pm and 2pm can even bear me witness that some students at the
school are often engaged in such dangerous driving within the vicinity.
Thank
you,
Enusa
Colley,
Concerned
citizen
Bakau
Mile 7.
