It is loss for ATBU: ‘Death of our colleagues could have been avoided’

For students and management staff of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, Monday, August 5, 2019, will remain evergreen in their memories, because it was the day four students of the institution lost their lives after a bridge collapsed at the Gubi permanent campus of the institution. The incident also left several of the students seriously injured.

The university has two campuses located in Yelwa, Bauchi Local Government Area (LGA), as well as in Gubi, which is in Ganjuwa LGA of the state, and is 10 kilometres away from the metropolis, along the Kano road, situated a few kilometres to the Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa International Airport, as well as the Operation Command headquarters of the Nigerian Air Force base. These establishments make the area a beehive of activities.

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On that fateful Monday, there was a heavy downpour, which lasted for hours till late in the evening. Many of the students were on campus at the time, and when the rain subsided, they decided to quickly rush to their hostels, which were at the other side of the academic area.

According to an eyewitness, as the students hurried to reach their respective hostels, in order not to be caught in the rains again, the metal fabricated bridge, which is the link between the academic area and the hostels, caved in. The incident occurred around 12midnight due to the heavy traffic on the bridge. The structure linking the lecture rooms to the hostels was already deep in water due to the heavy rain, and as a result, many of the students were washed away, while those who could swim managed to survive. However, those who could not were killed in the process. This was also worsened by the fact that it was late in the night, and help did not reach those affected immediately.

According to the students, who are writing their first semester examinations, the tragedy could have been easily avoided, if the school management’s alleged negligence and failure to heed their calls for a standard facility and a good road network within the ivory tower, were addressed.

Speaking on the incident, a roommate of one of the students simply identified as Joseph, who died in the incident, said: “He was a 300 level student of Business Management from Kogi State.”

The school management has nonetheless expressed sadness over the incident and declared 12 days of mourning. Addressing a press conference, the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Muhammad Ahmad AbdulAzeez, said: “I regret to announce the death of four of our students. The unfortunate accident that led to the demise of the students occurred late last night (Tuesday) at Gubi campus of our university.

“While the full details of the occurrence are being awaited, the university senate, at an emergency meeting, has decided to close the school in honour of the students. The reopening date has been fixed for August 19.” The vice chancellor, who appeared close to tears, while addressing pressmen, continued: “We are mourning our students and we commiserate with the families of the deceased and pray that Allah grants the souls of the departed eternal rest.” Adding that the management had ordered the immediate construction of a modern bridge, although the delay was due to paucity of funds, he explained that “We want to close down the whole school because we are mourning, so that no part will be mourning and other parts are working. We felt that the mourning should include remedial students and postgraduate students. We need two weeks to repair the collapsed bridge. Even now, I met one of the contractors who promised that the bridge will be repaired in a week’s time.” He also confirmed injuries of varying degrees on seven others.

However, some of the management staff, who spoke to our correspondent, said the pedestrian bridge was constructed in 2010 to carry between 10 to 15 students at a time, but because of the rain, between 20 and 40 students tried to access the bridge at the same time.

According to a staff member, the management provided light powered by solar energy on the road leading to the bridge, but it was vandalized by miscreants. The staff member, however, assured that the Federal Government had plans to install solar lights in all universities, including ATBU Bauchi, in order to foster security and safety of students.

Meanwhile, one of the victims of the incident has been identified as Salamat, a 200 level student studying Chemistry Education. Salamat was the only female, who died in the incident. Salamat’s sister had earlier on gone on Twitter to ask for help in locating her sister after the bridge collapsed. She, however, later tweeted that her sister was among those who died.

In its reaction, the National Union of Bauchi State Students (NUBASS) has requested the state governor, Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, to immediately come to the aid of the students by constructing the collapsed bridge at Gubi campus of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi.

National President of the Union, Comrade Ibrahim Hashimu Abdullahi, made the request when he led members of the union on a courtesy call to the governor at the Government House, Bauchi, where he appealed for the provision of health facilities and construction of boreholes in the university in order to alleviate the sufferings of the students.

In his response, Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, who spoke through the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Abubakar Suleiman, appealed to members of the union to consider the recent collapse of the bridge as “an act of God” and assured them of government’s immediate action on their requests.

Receiving the state government officials at the council chambers of the university, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Mohammed Abdulaziz, expressed gratitude to the state government for its immediate action. The Vice Chancellor said the university management has constituted a high-powered committee to work out modalities towards averting the reoccurrence of the incident.

Adamu Ahmed Itas, the Student Union Government President in the university, described the state government’s intervention as a welcome development.

Meanwhile, some villagers at Gubi, who spoke to our correspondent, also sympathised with the families of the victims and called on the university authorities to commence immediate action on the area which is flood-prone, due to its proximity to the Gubi dam site.