Borno Govt queries provost for suspending students over refusal to welcome Buhari
The Borno State Government has queried the provost of College of Nursing and Midwifery, Rukaiya Shettima Mustapha, over the suspension of some college students under the claim that the students failed to join others welcoming President Muhammadu Buhari on June 17 in Maiduguri the state capital.
The State Commissioner of Health and Human Services Juliana Bitrus who disclosed this in Maiduguri, described the provost’s actions as a mischievous move against the Borno State Government, saying the provost acted on her own, without the directives of any official at her supervising ministry or the state government.
President Muhammadu Buhari on the 17th of June visited Maiduguri, the Borno state capital to observe the security situation of the state, which is the worst hit by the Boko Haram insurgency in the Northeast.
The query with reference number MOH/PER/752 V.I and dated June 25, states that the commissioner had urgently demanded that the provost responds within 48 hours, and give enough compelling reasons why disciplinary action should not be taken against her.
The commissioner further explains that Borno has about eight state-owned tertiary institutions, she is however amazed why it is only at the college of nursing and midwifery, that students were suspended, with signed letters issued to them.
She said it is an apparent effort to embarrass the state government.
The commissioner said, “even though it is a normal practice that students join in welcoming visiting Presidents all over Nigeria, such acts are voluntary. More so that students constitute far less than a thousand residents who freely trooped out to welcome the President in all parts of Maiduguri”.
The commissioner said the ministry was amazed when news broke about the suspension of the students because it was as a matter of facts an unbelievable act, she said that led the ministry to carefully investigate the claims, which they later confirm the act before issuing a query.
The commissioner was concerned that the provost may have some personal ills against the suspended students, and just used the president’s visit to get back at them.
Juliana noted that Heads of States and Presidents have been visiting Borno since 1976, and students do join in welcoming them, and no one ever expected 100% compliance in any public mobilization.
The commissioner further added that if any issue involving students was to be raised, how come it was not the Borno State University, which the President Commissioned, or schools around projects commissioned by the President?
During his one day visit to Borno state, the President commissioned the first phase of 10,000 houses he approved for resettlement of IDPs in Borno State. He also commissioned seven out of 556 capital projects executed by Governor Zulum in two years.
Buhari was also widely and spontaneously welcomed by thousands of residents at all points of his visit.
Borno Govt queries provost for suspending students over refusal to welcome Buhari