Liberty School, located in Ikota, Lagos, has addressed a viral video featuring Folake Olaleye, a former teacher who now sells goods on the street.
The video has attracted widespread attention and criticism.
In the video, Olaleye, a mother of two, claims that she was previously employed at Liberty School and that her pension remains unpaid after her dismissal in 2020.
She has joined the #EndBadGovernance protest to voice her struggles and appeal for help.
Olaleye said in the video, “My child also is hawking. We are suffering. Even to register her in public schools, they will demand N20,000 and we thought public schools were free but it is no longer so.”
She added, “We have not seen anything that President Tinubu has done. Help us to beg him. I am suffering and my children are also suffering.”
Olaleye also claimed that she was dismissed from her teaching position by Pastor Ngozi of Olive Tree Parish Redeem, who replaced her with new staff.
She said, “I’ve taught at Yemi Osinbajo’s Free Liberty School, Ajah before. It was when Osinbajo won the second term that one Pastor Ngozi at Olive Tree Parish Redeem sacked all the teachers and put her own people there.”
The video has gotten several reposts and reactions. the former Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms, Joe Abah, on X who reposted the video wrote “It is really sad to have a very articulate teacher, with excellent recall abilities, hawking on the road. The worst part for me was when she said it was a Pastor that took away her job to bring her own people in…in the former Vice President’s school.”
One user @ziSpecial1 also commented, “The sad thing is, there are hundreds of unqualified people doing the job people like her should be doing, country is broken”.
It is really sad to have a very articulate teacher, with excellent recall abilities, hawking on the road. The worst part for me was when she said it was a Pastor that took away her job to bring her own people in…in the former Vice President’s school. pic.twitter.com/rJHsPcJKUr
— Dr Joe Abah, OON (@DrJoeAbah) August 3, 2024
In response, Liberty School issued a statement addressing Olaleye’s claims. The school clarified that Olaleye’s termination in 2020 was conducted with “strict adherence to due process” and not to replace her with other staff members.
The statement read, “In addressing Ms Olaleye’s pension, while the scheme has specific age and eligibility conditions for access, both the School and the Church are committed to providing compassionate financial assistance.”
The school also said they would provide Olaleye with financial assistance equivalent to her pension entitlements and explore ways to support her children’s education, which she had voluntarily withdrawn from the school.
The statement continued, “We will ensure that Ms Olaleye receives, at a minimum, an amount equivalent to what she would have been entitled to under the pension scheme had she met the eligibility requirements. Our goal is to resolve all matters in a respectful, dignified, and amicable manner.”
Liberty School noted that Olaleye’s children had previously received free education, books, and meals at the school. The statement emphasized that the school has been committed to providing quality education to underprivileged children since its establishment in 2012.
The statement added, “Liberty School Ikota remains steadfast in its mission to offer free educational opportunities and support to children in need. So far, over 1,000 children have gone through Liberty School Ikota with sound free education, including free school uniforms, free books, and a free meal every day.”
