Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State has announced immediate closure of Saint Academy School and ordered full investigation into the building collapse that killed 22 and injured 132 persons.
The governor gave the order for the school closure when he visited the collapsed building premises in the Busa Buji, Jos North Local Government Area of the state for assessment of situation as he went round the school premises, with the school principal and staff on ground to receive him.
“It is unfortunate what has happened 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,” 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. While the dead bodies have been deposited in different morgues in the state, the 132 injured persons are receiving treatment at different hospitals.
“As of 6:00 pm, 154 people have been rescued from the debris. Sadly, 22 individuals have been confirmed deceased,” the Plateau State Commissioner for Information and Communication Musa Ashoms said this in a Friday evening statement.
“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 prioritize 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 while the school had a population of 400 students, the section that was affected had about 200 persons.
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, from 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 in the interest of our people, because we have established a committee to go around,” he said.
