By Ebuka Onyekwelu, Ph.D
The Anambra State House of Assembly has indicted British Spring College, Awka, over the demise of pupil, Oscar Ezeani. A few months ago, the death of 13-year-old Oscar Ezeani was a source of profound controversy as the parents of the student and the management of the school traded blame over the unfortunate incident.
During plenary on Tuesday, the report of the investigation by the Anambra State House of Assembly Committee on Education was submitted by the Committee Chairman, Hon. Emmanuel Okpalaeke, and the report was considered and adopted by the House as a working document.
According to the report, the Committee interfaced with the parents of the deceased, school management, roommates of the deceased, and Joyville Specialist Hospital Awka, where the deceased was pronounced dead. The Committee also considered all documents relating to the late Oscar Ezeani’s health status and death, as well as the CCTV footage of the school capturing the events leading up to his death.
The report by the Committee revealed that the CCTV footage was tampered with and possibly doctored. The report also confirmed that the 13-year-old Oscar vomited twice the night before he was made to join in the exercise the next day, where he collapsed and died.
From the findings of the Committee, the report revealed that the school management paid little or no attention to the late student’s health and wellness. Accordingly, the report noted that “there was an outright negligence on the part of the school”. The report further pointed out a miscommunication between the school and the parents of the deceased.
However, the Committee regretted that throughout its fact-finding mission and visitations to the school management and the hospital where Oscar was pronounced dead, “No one was able to give an accurate account of what happened to Oscar.”
The Committee then recommends that British Spring College Awka upgrade hostel management and supervision of pupils, as well as hospital emergency response, before resumption in January 2026. Secondly, the report prescribed a formal apology by the school management to the parents of the deceased. The report further recommended immediate improvement in surveillance in the school and other schools across the state.
With comments from Hon. Noble Igwe, whose motion for an improved prayer was sustained, Hon. Mimi Azikiwe, Hon. Golden Ilo, Hon. Emma Nwafor, and Hon. Ikenna Ofordeme, the report was adopted by the Anambra State House of Assembly as its position on the demise of Oscar Ezeani, in care of British Spring College, Awka.
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