The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Students’ Engagements, Sunday Asefon, has called for comprehensive medical care for students injured in the recent school building collapse in Jos, the capital of Plateau State.
During a solidarity visit, Asefon paid tribute to those who lost their lives in the tragic incident, describing their sudden departure as both saddening and mournful.
The collapse resulted in at least 22 deaths and left 132 individuals injured at a primary and secondary school academy in the Busa-Buji community, located in the Jos North Local Government Area.
In a related development, Asefon has previously advocated for automatic employment for first-class graduates, urged students to remain focused on their academic goals, and encouraged students to take advantage of transport palliatives during the Yuletide season.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Asefon detailed his visit to the survivors, who are receiving treatment at Plateau Specialist Hospital, Jos; Bingham University Teaching Hospital; and Our Lady of Apostles Hospital (OLA Hospital).
During his visit, Asefon engaged with the Chief Medical Directors of these hospitals, appealing to the medical staff to utilize their best professional skills to treat those with severe injuries and prevent an increase in the death toll.
Asefon stated, “On Monday, I visited Saint Academy Jos, the scene of the school building collapse that left many students dead and several others injured. I also visited the hospitals where the survivors are receiving treatment, including Plateau Specialist Hospital, Bingham University Teaching Hospital, and Our Lady of Apostles Hospital. The purpose of my visit was to ascertain the progress made and to solicit for quality medical attention to ensure that no further deaths occur. I met with all the Chief Medical Directors of the hospitals and discussed the progress of the treatments, as well as with the Plateau State Commissioner for Secondary Education. It is my prayer that God grants the departed souls eternal rest and quick recovery for all those hospitalized.”
On Saturday, Asefon, the former President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), expressed deep sympathies for the families of the victims.
 In a statement, he prayed for God to grant them the strength to bear the tragic loss. In his condolence letter to the government and people of Plateau State, made available to journalists, Asefon described the deaths as a monumental loss to the country.
He also emphasized that such a preventable national tragedy could have been avoided with a robust maintenance culture for school structures.
