NEWS
JUST IN: Two Nasarawa Varsity Students Killed In Palliative Stampede
The Nasarawa State University, Keffi, was plunged into mourning after a stampede claimed the lives of two female students during the distribution of government-issued palliatives at the university’s convocation square on Friday.
The heartbreaking incident also left a number of students injured.
A source said “What we are hearing now is that two female students have died. They were said to have been suffocated because of the crowd and they were later declared dead by the healthcare workers.”
Yunusa Baduku, the National President of the Nasarawa State Students Association, verified the incident, expressing dismay over the tragic stampede.
Baduku disclosed that many of the affected students had been swiftly transported to nearby hospitals for urgent medical care.
He lamented “Seriously, what happened this morning at the Nasarawa State University, Keffi, is uncalled for, and very pathetic.
“After our arrangement for the distribution of palliatives to the students which was to hold at the University’s convocation square, they (students) suddenly arrived at the venue in their numbers and overpowered the security.
“They broke through the gate into the Convocation square where the bags of rice was to be shared.
“Unfortunately, most of our female students sustained several degrees of injuries, while others got suffocated because of the population at the venue for the distribution of the palliatives.
“Right now, I am at the Federal Medical Centrw Keffi, where we brought some of our students for emergency treatment.
“Also, as National President of NASA, I got an official report that one student has died as a result of the unfortunate incident.
“For the numbers of those injured, I cannot confirm that at the moment because some of them are at the school’s clinic while others are here at the FMC, Keffi receiving treatment.
Baduku, however, praised the swift response of the university’s management, student leaders, and representatives of the state government in providing immediate medical assistance to the affected students.
He added “I want to commend the school management, the student leaders and even the state government for standing by us at a time like this.
“They are all doing their best to address the situation, and to ensure that normalcy returns to the school environment.”
Recall that Governor Abdullahi Sule had distributed aid packages consisting of two 7.5 kg bags of rice and ₦5,000 to every student at the Federal University of Lafia, Isa Mustapha Agwai Polytechnic in Lafia, and the College of Education in Akwanga.
It appears that Air Peace’s foray into profitable global routes would continue to attract warfare from numerous sources.
Recall that in what seemed like price war, many international airlines tweaked their flight rates to Nigeria southward, following the entry of Air Peace into the global arena, particularly the United Kingdom and the United States routes.
Now, barely three months after Air Peace commenced the Lagos-London route, the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority (UKCAA) has formally reported the airline to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) for violation of some aviation safety regulations.
It was gathered that two mandatory occurrence reports on Air Peace had been sent to the UKCAA, which in turn forwarded the complaints to the NCAA.
The UKCAA’s covering letter conveying the complaint to the NCAA was entitled, ‘United Kingdom SAFA Ramp Inspection Report with reference number: CAA-UK, -2024-0217’ and ‘NATS Management System Safety Report.’
In a swift reaction, the NCAA has formally demanded explanations and clarifications from Air Peace over the complaints.
The letter, dated May 14, 2024, with reference number: NCAA/DOLTS/APL/Vol.11/03624 was titled, “United Kingdom SAFA Ramp Inspection Report.
General Manager of Operations, NCAA, Capt. O.O. Lawani, signed the letter to Air Peace.
According to the letter, the NCAA averred that the UKCAA had called its attention to the no operational approval of Electronic Flight Bag functions affecting the safe operation of the aircraft, while adding that the captain of the flight admitted that an Electronic Flight Bag was being used for navigational purposes.
The NCAA also pointed out that UKCAA stated in its letter that there was “no mounting device for the use of EFB, no charging points or battery for backup.”
Biztellers reports that Air Peace recently commenced operation to London Gatwick from the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos under the Bilateral Air Services Agreement, which Nigeria has with the UK.
Air Peace is yet to make its position on the matter public.
Nigeria’s Folashade Adekeye has emerged as the Chairperson, Forum of the Directors of Oil & Gas Training & Vocational Education Institutes of the African Petroleum Producers Organization (APPO).
Biztellers reports that Adekeye, the Director, NNPC Academy, took over from Abdelkader Guenone, the Managing Director of the Algerian Petroleum Institute (API), during the second meeting of the Forum, in Abuja, at the weekend.
At the moment, Adekeye heads the NNPC’s oil and gas training arm, brings into the role over 30 years of experience, and is expected to work with her colleagues from APPO Member Countries in order to foster more collaboration towards addressing the challenges of competences, skill gaps, infrastructure, and poor funding in the organization’s training institutions.
Earlier in his keynote address at the opening ceremony of the meeting, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPC Ltd., Mele Kyari, represented by Inuwa Danladi, Executive Vice President (Business Services), emphasized the importance of a standardized educational and training approach to meet the changing demands of the oil and gas industry.
Also in his keynote address, APPO’s Secretary General, Dr. Omar Farouk Ibrahim, charged the Member Countries to work towards further enhancing collaborative efforts to establish Oil & Gas Centres of Excellence across the African continent.
Dr. Ibrahim, also from Nigeria, said having good knowledge of the Forum’s challenges would enable APPO Member Countries to make recommendations and provide solutions in areas such as Oil & Gas project funding, technology adoption, and the formation of Africa Energy Bank.
He concluded that such collaboration by all member countries will guarantee Africa’s energy accessibility, affordability and sustainability, which overall, will strengthen her economies and bring prosperity to its citizens.
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against the governors of Nigeria’s 36 states and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nyesom Wike over failure to account for Federal allocations dating back to 1999.
It was gathered that action followed reports that the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) disbursed N1.123 trillion to the federal, state, and local governments for March 2024.
They shared N1.208 trillion in April, which saw the states collect N398.689 billion in March, after they collected N403.403 billion in April.
In the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/666/2024 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court, Abuja, the SERAP is asking the court to “direct and compel the governors and Mr Wike to publish spending details of the FAAC allocations collected by their states and the FCT since 1999 including the list and locations of projects executed with the money.”
The SERAP also asked the court to “compel the governors and Mr Wike to invite the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC] and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission [ICPC] to probe any allegations of corruption linked to the allocations and to monitor how the money is spent.”
In the suit, the SERAP argued that, “Nigerians ought to know in what manner public funds including FAAC allocations, are spent by the governors and FCT minister.”
According to the SERAP, “Opacity in the spending of the FAAC allocations collected by the governors and Mr Wike would continue to have negative impacts on the fundamental interests of the citizens.”
According to the SERAP, “trillions of FAAC allocations received by Nigeria’s 36 states and the FCT have allegedly gone down the drain. The resulting human costs directly threaten the human rights of socially and economically vulnerable Nigerians.
“Without the information on the spending details of the FAAC allocations, Nigerians cannot follow the actions of their states and the FCT and they cannot properly fulfill their responsibilities as citizens.
“Directing and compelling the governors and FCT minister to provide the information sought and widely publish the spending details of the FAAC allocations collected by them would serve legitimate public interests.
“The failure by the governors and the FCT ministers to account for the spending of the FAAC allocations collected by them is entirely inconsistent and incompatible with the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and the country’s international anti-corruption obligations.”
The suit filed on behalf of the SERAP by its lawyers Kolawole Oluwadare, Kehinde Oyewumi and Andrew Nwankwo.
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.
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