Some students from Saint Academy School in Jos North’s Busa Buji area remain missing 24 hours after its collapse.
The government had demolished the remains of the building few hours after the incident.
Meanwhile, Caleb Mutfwang, the state governor who visited the catastrophe site, has promised that everyone found liable in the building collapse will face punishment.
The governor later proclaimed a three-day mourning period for the victims of the tragedy, which would span from July 13 to July 15, 2024, and ordered that all flags be flown at half-mast in honour of the dead.
He extended his heartfelt condolences to the families affected by the devastating incident and urged the citizens to strictly follow building codes and ethics to prevent such tragedies. He also emphasised the need for all developers and property owners to submit their building plans to the Jos Metropolitan Development Board (JMDB) for verification and revalidation, as part of the enforcement of Executive Order 003.
“We offer our deepest sympathies and unwavering support to those affected during this incredibly difficult time. We are dedicated to providing the best possible medical care for the injured and will conduct a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the collapse.
This came as the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) condoled with Governor Mutfwang and the affected families of the victims.
Chairman of NGF and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, on behalf of members of the Forum pledged to support the Plateau State Government in providing necessary assistance to address any lapses to prevent future occurrences.
“The Nigeria Governors’ Forum stands in solidarity with the people of Plateau and the affected families during this difficult time. We commend the swift response of the rescue teams and the efforts of the state government in managing this crisis.”
In a statement released by NGF’s acting Head of Media, Halimah Ahmed, the governors said that safety in schools remains a paramount concern, and the authorities are committed to taking immediate steps to address this issue.
The governors added: “As the state government continues to provide support and comfort to the affected families, the NGF is ready to support efforts to help mitigate the impact of this tragedy and prevent future occurrences.”
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also expressed its condolences to all those who lost their loved ones, the governor, and people of Plateau State.
One of the parents, Mrs. Amaka Dennis, told our correspondent at Our Lady of Apostles Hospital (OLA) where her second child, Chidera Dennis, is recuperating from injuries she sustained during the incident that she was still searching for her JSS 1 son, Emmanuel, who went to school that day with his sister.
The distraught mother, amid sobs, said that he and her husband had combed the whole hospitals and mortuaries in Jos without any sign of Emmanuel either dead or alive.
She said that soldiers had barricaded the site and were not allowing parents to go to the site after the incident and that she had not been able to gain access to continue the search for her missing son.
Amaka, who hails from Orlu in Imo State, said: “Please help me tell the soldiers to allow me to go in and look for my son if he’s still under the rubble. My husband and I have gone round all the hospitals and mortuaries in Jos, but we have not seen him. Please help me, help me. I can’t get myself, As you see me now, I am not the one here. I carried him for nine months. He is very diligent. I sell roasted corn and after school, he comes to the market to help me. Let them allow me to dig if I can see my son. I thank God I have seen this one. The God that did miracle for me in this one would help me get my son.”
Her daughter, Chidera, an SS2 student, while narrating what happened said that they were in the class discussing after a lesson when one of their classmates told them that a teacher wanted to hold a combined lesson with another class with them.
According to her, after the class, we just sat in the classroom talking because the teacher just finished teaching and left us. We were just gisting when one of our classmates came and told us that a teacher wants to take us on a combined class with another class. We were about to go out. As I carried my bag, and opened the door the building now fell down and I crept under one desk with one girl. She was telling me that I should help her because a deck was on top of her head. I removed her head and put my hand under the deck. Then she said that I should tell her mother that if they don’t saved us she was going to die. I now told her that she should not say that again that we are going to come out alive. That the Lord is our strength. We were eight inside the class; we lost one of our classmates.”
She said that rescue efforts were delayed as it took time before authorities of the school knew that some students were still alive under the rubble.
Meanwhile Governor Caleb Mutfwang has ordered the closure of Saint Academy School after the building collapse last Friday, He also ordered the police to arrest anybody found mining in Jos city centre
Mutfwang who spoke while inspecting the site of the collapsed building along with the school principal said that the act was caused by negligence as the incident could have been avoided. He said that he was told that the proprietors of the school had enough warning to have taken steps to avoid the incident.
He said: “It’s obvious that this building is defective. There was no proper mixture of sand and cement. What I can see here is pure sand. And so we have endangered the lives of innocent children for no tangible reason. You were not in class. You could have also been a victim by now. We can’t continue like this. When you see something, you say something. It is not all the time that we spend praying against demons and Satan. This is human negligence. We don’t need to shy away from this reality. This is human negligence.
“At this rate, we cannot allow this school to function. I hope you know that for the parents who still have children in this school, what has happened is unfortunate. But of course, 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 to owners of private schools. The drive for the motive for profit must not overshadow the safety of lives.”
The governor said a proper integrity check and audit will be carried out on all school buildings in the state, both private and public.
“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 they are buildings human beings can inhabit. “It is very clear that there are buildings that were not supposed to have been built. Some buildings were not built in the right places. Some buildings were built without approvals. 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 and didn’t do their job. So by the grace of God, we’re going to set up a very high-powered 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 at our many, schools.”
The governor said that the essence of signing Executive Order 003 was to bring sanity to how buildings were constructed in the state.
He said: “That is why we signed Executive Order 003 to be able to bring order and sanity into a built environment. When we insist that some buildings be demolished, it’s not because we are wicked. We are concerned about the safety of lives. That’s why when we see buildings on water lines, we see buildings in marshy places; we have no option than 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 government’s cost; we’ll make sure the owners are prosecuted.”
The principal of the school told Mutfwang that they had a student population of 284 in the secondary section and 145 in the primary school.
He said that the proprietor was not around to receive the governor as he was indisposed.
Mutfwang later visited the injured at the Bingham University Teaching Hospital and Our Lady of Apostles (Evangel) Hospital.
Addressing newsmen after the visit, the governor said that 22 students lost their lives, while 134 others received varying degrees of injuries. He said that the government would foot the bills of all those in the hospital and commiserated with all those who lost their loved ones.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said it commiserated with the people and government of Plateau State over the death of students, following the collapse of a school building.
The PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said it was distraught by the incident, which had brought sorrow to families, Plateau State and the country at large.
According to the party, “indeed, the heartrending death of those young Nigerian children who left their respective homes to school in search of knowledge and pursuit of their dreams and aspirations came as a huge blow to our nation and humanity and we pray that their death will not be in vain.
“Our party commiserates with Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State and stands in prayers with the teachers, parents, siblings and families of the victims as well as the injured at this trying time.
“The PDP commends Governor Mutfwang for his swift intervention for search and rescue operation, recovery and provision of all necessary emergency aids including prompt evacuation of victims and medical assistance to the injured.
“The PDP prays for the repose of the souls of the dead, divine consolation for the bereaved and speedy recovery of the injured.”
