Governor Muftwang Shuts School Over Building Collapse
Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State has announced the immediate closure of Saint Academy School and ordered a full investigation into the building collapse that killed 22 and injured 132 people.
the governor issued the order for the school to close when he visited the collapsed building premises to assess the situation, accompanied by the school principal and staff.
The unfortunate event necessitates the school’s immediate closure. We can’t take any further chances, and we need to send this message, particularly to owners of private schools,” Muftwang said.
“The motive for profit must not overshadow the safety of lives. And 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 human beings can inhabit such buildings.”
The school building caved in while they were in class on Friday. Different mortuaries in the state have deposited the dead bodies, while different hospitals are treating the 132 injured people.
As of 6:00 p.m., rescuers had rescued 154 people from the debris. In a Friday evening statement, Musa Ashoms, the Plateau State Commissioner for Information and Communication, confirmed the death of 22 individuals.
“Injured students and staff are receiving medical treatment at various hospitals across Jos.”
“To ensure prompt medical attention, the government has directed all major hospitals in Jos to prioritise treatment of the victims, regardless of documentation or payment.
“Governor Barrister Mutfwang has specifically instructed these hospitals to accommodate all those affected by the collapse,” the commissioner said.
He had earlier visited the scene of the collapsed two-storey structure and said that while the school had a population of 400 students, the section that was affected had about 200 people.
The Commissioner also lamented that the collapsed structure did not meet the standards for buildings and warned schools that have similar structures to shut down.
“You can see that it is by the river bank, and based on your eye evaluation, you know that it is not a very strong structure,” he said.
“We are calling on other schools that didn’t follow plans that have similar issues to close down in the interest of our state and our people, because we have established a committee to go around,” he said.