In the aftermath of the tragic collapse of a school building in Plateau State, Governor Caleb Mutfwang has ordered the immediate closure of Saint Academy in the Busa Buji area of Jos North local government.
The governor’s directive came during an on-the-spot assessment of the site where the collapse occurred, resulting in 22 fatalities and 154 injuries.
The affected school had 284 secondary students and 145 primary pupils. The collapse, which took place on Friday morning, has left a community grieving and scrambling for answers.
The latest statistics reveal that 154 individuals were rescued from the rubble, with 22 confirmed dead and 132 hospitalized.
The injured are receiving treatment at various hospitals in Jos, including Plateau State Specialist Hospital, Our Lady of Apostles (OLA) Hospital, Bingham University Teaching Hospital, and Jos University Teaching Hospital.
Governor Mutfwang emphasized that all major hospitals in Jos are to prioritize the treatment of the victims, irrespective of documentation or payment.
He personally visited the site on Saturday morning, offering condolences to the families of the deceased and committing state resources to cover the medical expenses of the injured.
Mutfwang expressed his outrage at the substandard construction of the school, stating, “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.”
He continued, “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 it means this school is closed down immediately.”
Governor Mutfwang announced a comprehensive safety audit of all schools in the state to ensure their structural integrity.
He emphasized that the drive for profit must not overshadow the safety of lives and called for stricter supervision and accountability among public officials responsible for building approvals.
“We are setting up a committee to investigate this incident and bring in building professionals to investigate. 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 buildings be demolished, we are not wicked; we are concerned about the safety of lives,” he added.
