Mrs. Oluwatosin Aina, a teacher from Olokinne High School in Ojowo, Ijebu Igbo, located in the Ijebu North Local Government Area of Ogun State, reportedly collapsed and passed away during school hours.
The community remains in a state of shock as news broke that the incident happened on a Thursday morning.
A self-identified close family friend, serving as a source, revealed that Mrs. Aina, now deceased, reportedly personally drove to the school on Thursday and started feeling unwell with fever shortly after her arrival.
The officer on Grade Level 14, tasked with teaching Christian Religious Knowledge, was granted permission by the Principal to tend to her health but unfortunately slumped right next to her car.
She was urgently taken to the annex of Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital in Ijebu Igbo, and it was there that her passing was officially confirmed.
The reported incident plunged the entire school into mourning, underscoring the deep sense of dedication and care that the deceased extended to students and colleagues.
The late Mrs. Aina, said to be in her 50s, was reportedly wedded to a retired Principal with ties to Ijebu Igbo.
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The source said, ‘Yes, I can confirm that the unfortunate incident happened on Thursday morning. I know her very well. I heard that she started feeling uncomfortable after getting to the school and got permission from her Principal to go and treat herself but slumped beside her car.’
‘She was confirmed dead at the hospital she was rushed to. She was a Christian Religious Knowledge teacher and married to a retired Principal. She should be in her 50s and either on Grade Level 13 or 14.’
Another teacher in the area, who preferred to remain anonymous, voiced concern about the alarming frequency of teacher deaths in the state, emphasizing that the strain of a shortage in teacher numbers is adversely affecting the health of the already limited workforce.
Reacting to the incident, Felix Agbesanwa, Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools in Ogun State, conveyed sympathies to the family of the deceased teacher. He acknowledged the union’s understanding of the issues arising from the shortage of teachers in the school.
Agbesanwa said, ‘We have a teacher shortage challenge. This week, the government commenced the employment of 2000 teachers. This is in addition to the 1000 OgunTeach interns who were given permanent employment recently.’
‘We really appreciate this gesture from the Governor and hope that other outstanding issues that will further aid the teacher’s wellbeing will be addressed just as the Governor has promised.’