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Governor Mutfwang orders closure of Jos collapsed school

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Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang has visited the collapsed structure at the Saint Academy, Busa Buji, Jos North local government area of the State on an on-the-spot assessment as he ordered the immediate closure of the school.

The school has 284 Secondary students and 145 Primary pupils. Its structure collapsed on Friday morning killing 22 persons and leaving 154 others injured.

The statistics obtained on Friday evening showed that 154 people have been rescued from the debris, and 22 individuals have been confirmed dead while 132 are hospitalized. Injured students and staff receive medical treatment at various hospitals in Jos, the State capital.

39 of the injured are at the Plateau State Specialist Hospital, 32 are at Our Lady of Apostles (OLA) Hospital, 55 are at the Bingham University Teaching Hospital and six are at the Jos University Teaching Hospital.

The State government directed all major hospitals in Jos to prioritize the treatment of the victims, regardless of documentation or payment.

On visiting the site of the incident on Saturday morning, Mutfwang also commiserated with the family of the deceased children and promised that the state government would bear the cost of the treatment of the injured students.

He said, “… Whoever built this school, did not do well. I am not a technical person but all I can see on this debris is sand. It is a two-storey building as a layman, I know there has to be a proper mixture of sand and cement but what I can see here is pure sand.

“You have endangered the lives of innocent children for no reason. We can’t continue like this, it is no longer time to spend time praying against demons and Satan, this is human negligence.

“We cannot allow this school to function for the parents, it is unfortunate what has happened but what it means is that this school is closed down immediately.

“We can’t take any further chances and we need to send this message particularly the owners of private schools the drive for profit must not overshadow the safety of lives so we taking steps immediately to do a technical audit of all the schools. We will test their structural integrity to ensure human beings can habit such buildings.”

He added, “Some buildings were not built in the right places, some built without approvals, without the right materials so we will correct these things. I won’t just blame the school but also our public officials who were supposed to supervise but didn’t do their jobs.

“We are setting up a committee to investigate this incident and bring in building professionals to investigate this and anyone found culpable will face the wrath of the law. This is why we signed Executive Order 003 to bring sanity into the environment.

“When we insist that some building be demolished, we are not wicked, we are concerned about the safety of lives. When we see buildings on waterways, in marshy places, we will bring them down. We can’t afford to have this kind of mishap again. May God grant the parents of the deceased the fortitude to bear the loss and grant the injured a quick recovery.”

He commended the efforts of all stakeholders in the rescue mission and asked that citizens do the right things and obey rules and regulations put in place to save lives.

The Governor is also going on hospital visits to the injured.

Education

UNIOSUN mandates new students to apply for student loan

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The Vice-Chancellor, Osun State University, Professor Clement Adebooye, has mandated the institution’s fresh students to apply for Federal Government student loan anchored by the National Education Loan Fund, NELFUND.

This is as he disclosed that the university could only admit 11,000 students out of the 30,000 that applied for the 2024 academic session.

Speaking at the 18th Matriculation ceremony held at the Olagunsoye Oyinlola Auditorium at the main campus in Osogbo on Friday, he assured the newly admitted students of the timely completion of their courses of study.

He disclosed that the FG loan scheme would make learning easy for the new students due to the ongoing economic crisis in the country; hence, new students must apply for the loan.

His words, “I must also seize this opportunity to announce to you the opportunity for student loans provided by the Federal Government through NELFUND. As this is an intervention to cushion the effect of economic hardship on students, the management of this institution has decided that every new student must apply and access it to further make student life easy for you”.

He charged the newly admitted students to work tirelessly to achieve academic progression, saying they are among the few lucky ones to gain admission.

“It will interest you all to note that well over 30,000 candidates applied for admission into the university this year. Of this lot, we are only able to admit 11,000 (approximately one-third) into the various academic programmes across colleges and campuses. Though this means you are among the very lucky few admitted, it also shows you have all it takes to be undergraduates in any Nigerian university.

“But then, you all have to note for your all-time guidance that it is not everyone that starts any race that usually completes the race. The race in this context is competence building and knowledge acquisition, which come with regular lectures, assignments, tests, examinations, and character moulding all through your residency here.

“In this esteemed institution, we uphold the values of integrity, discipline, and moral uprightness. Social vices such as examination malpractice, cultism, indecent dressing, drug abuse, sexual harassment, and truancy are strongly condemned,” he added.

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Education

Outrage as students reject renaming of UniAbuja after Yakubu Gowon

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Students of the University of Abuja have vehemently opposed the Federal Government’s decision to rename their institution after former military leader Yakubu Gowon.
The announcement, approved by the Federal Executive Council on Monday, December 16, has sparked widespread protests.

Mohammed Idris, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, disclosed the council’s resolution following its final 2024 meeting at Aso Rock Villa. However, students and alumni immediately reacted with anger.

On Thursday, December 19, students rallied at the university’s main gate, holding placards with messages such as “The voice of men is the voice of God,” “We stand for UniAbuja,” and “Solve hunger problems, not renaming UniAbuja.”

Comrade Nkem Silas, President of the Students Union Government (SUG), urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reconsider the decision.

“Renaming the university can have psychological effects on students. We will formally express our concerns to the Federal Ministry of Education through the Vice Chancellor,” Silas said.

Prof Jeremiah Vambe, an alumnus and lecturer in the Department of Public Administration, also criticised the move.

“Renaming the university involves economic, legal, and psychological costs. The law establishing the University of Abuja must be amended to accommodate this change,” Vambe explained.

Comrade Adamu Abdulbasit, President of the Abuja Indigenous Students Association (AISA), proposed an alternative.

“Instead of renaming UniAbuja, the Federal Government should complete the abandoned University of Science & Technology in Abaji and name it after Ladi Kwali University, Abuja,” Abdulbasit suggested.

The protests highlight the growing discontent among students and stakeholders, who see the renaming as threatening the university’s identity and legacy.

Calls for a reversal are gaining momentum as the controversy unfolds.

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Education

UNIZIK lecturer killed in Anambra by suspected carjackers

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A lecturer of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) has been murdered in an attack by yet-be-be-identified gunmen.

On Tuesday, Emmanuel Ojukwu, the UNIZIK spokesperson, confirmed the development to TheCable.

The victim has been identified as Fabian Osita Chinedu.

Tochukwu Ikenga, the state police PRO, said the UNIZK staff member was shot on Monday night at Aroma junction in Akwa.

Ikenga, who noted that the murderers made off with the victim’s car, said an investigation on the matter has already commenced.

“Information reveals that Mr. Fabian, a staff of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka was allegedly shot by unidentified gunmen yesterday 16th December 2024 at 10.10 pm at Aroma Junction,” he said in a statement.

“The murderers also made away with his car, a Toyota Corolla 2006 model, Ash colour with an Enugu Plate number, UWN 158 AS.”

Ikenga urged the public to come forward with any useful information that could aid the investigation.

“The command also urges members of the public who might have seen the vehicle or any abandoned vehicle with a similar description to report to the closest police station or call the command control room number,” he said.

A report quoted a witness as claiming that Fabian was blocked off by another vehicle whose occupants proceeded to gun down the lecturer when he came out of his car to protest.

Fabian Osita Chinedu hailed from Nteje in the Oyi local government area of Anambra.

He was a lecturer at a lecturer in at UNIZIK’s business administration department.

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Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others

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