Weeping, wailing and anguish follow another building collapse in Jos, the Plateau State capital which saw the death of over 22 students
By Udoka Ekeleme, Abuja
As a sign of expression of sorrow and sympathy for the death of his state’s youthful citizens caused by the building collapse that claimed the lives of 22 students at Saint Academy in Jos, Plateau State, on Friday, July 12, 2024, the Governor of the state, Caleb Muftwang promptly ordered the closure of the school and directed appropriate agencies to carry out technical audit of all schools in the state to test their structural integrity.
The governor also gave a marching order to residents of the state who built along river banks to leave.
Muftwang, who gave these orders shortly after an inspection of the site where the school building collapsed, said the government could no longer take further chances, stressing that most of the private schools in the state do not conform to the laid-down rules and regulations.
Muftwang said, “The drive for profit must not overshadow the safety of lives, so we are going to take steps immediately to do a technical audit of all the schools. We are going to test their structural integrity to ensure that they are fit for human habitation.
“Some buildings were not built in the right places or without approval. Some buildings were built without the right materials. And so, we are going to take time to correct these things.
“I won’t just blame the school. I will also blame our public officials who were supposed to supervise these buildings but didn’t do their job. So by the grace of God, we’re going to set up a committee to investigate this incident. Yes, we’re going to bring in building professionals to investigate this. And anyone found culpable will certainly face the wrath of the law.
“We cannot afford this situation any longer. That is why we signed Executive Order 003 to bring order and sanity into our environments. When we insist that some buildings be demolished, it’s not because we are wicked. We are concerned about the safety of our lives.
“That’s why when we see buildings on water lines or in marshy places, we have no option but to bring them down. And people think we are wicked. But we are going to go the extra mile now and make sure that violators are also prosecuted. We will not just bring down the buildings at a government cost.”
The Plateau State Chief Executive also promised that the state government would foot the bill of those receiving treatment at various hospitals within the state capital and further stated that anyone found mining within residential areas should be treated as a criminal.
Moving forward, the state government also declared a three-day period of mourning from July 13 to July 15. The Plateau State government added that during this period of mourning, all flags would be flown at half-mast to honor the victims.
Also, 81 victims of the school building collapse have been discharged from the various hospitals they were admitted to as of Saturday afternoon.
Dr Abel Izang, the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC) of Plateau Specialist Hospital, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Saturday in Jos.
Izang said that out of the 39 patients hospitalised on Friday, 23 had been discharged, while two were referred to the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) due to spinal injuries.
Izang, further said that the five patients who were still on admission were in stable condition.
Similarly, Professor Steve Anzaku, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Bingham University Teaching Hospital, said that out of the 55 hospitalised, 23 were discharged and those on admission were in stable condition.
Mrs Chioma Ofodille, the Public Relations Officer of Our Lady of Apostles (OLA) Hospital, said 23 out of the 32 patients brought to the facility had been discharged, while the remaining nine were in stable condition.
Dr Josiah Njem, the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC) of the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), told NAN, that the six victims of the collapsed building hospitalised in the hospital with various injuries were in stable condition.
