Oyam security blames Ngai school battery explosion on admin lapses

27 April 2025, 12:37 am

By Eman Yonah Oruk

The security fraternity in Oyam has blamed the explosion of a phone battery at Ngai Secondary School on alleged indiscipline and the headteacher’s failure to engage in recent district patriotism activities.

This was revealed earlier today by the Resident District Commissioner of Oyam, Sgt. Shilaku James, while addressing students, teachers, and local leaders about the incident that occurred last night at around 8:30 PM.

The tragic event occurred when students improperly connected a battery to a socket for charging. Unfortunately, the battery exploded, leading to the death of a Senior One student, Ayoo Immaculate, from Abere in Ngai subcounty.

In his remarks, Shilaku attributed the incident to poor discipline and weak administration on the part of the school’s leadership, as well as the headteacher’s absence from district patriotism events.

He asserted that participation in such events could have potentially prevented such accidents. Concluding his address, Shilaku highlighted the headteacher’s negligence, noting his absence at Ngai Secondary School early this morning, while Shilaku himself was present.

Benson Dill, the LC5 of Oyam district, in his address to the press, also voiced concerns that this incident occurred due to the weak administration at Ngai Secondary School. He noted that students are not allowed to bring prohibited materials onto school premises, prompting him to challenge all secondary schools in Oyam to be vigilant about what students bring to school. He emphasised that this is necessary to prevent incidents like the one at Ngai Secondary School from happening again in any school within Oyam District.

Responding to the claims, Jannani Okot, representing Ngai Secondary School’s administration, distanced himself from the allegations.

He countered by stating that the incident should not be attributed to weak administration, as all staff members are generally present at the school. Okot further remarked that the unfortunate event might have been part of God’s plan, emphasising that everyone is entitled to their opinion.

Sam Openy, one of the school inspectors for Oyam district, expressed concerns that while the school administration was initially very strict, they appeared to have relaxed during the Easter period. Openy urged the administration to restore their vigilance for the benefit of the students.