Gov. Tambuwal receives report on alleged blasphemy by slain Deborah, mulls reopening college
Story from Saleh INUWA, Kano
Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has received the report from a committee set up by the state government to investigate the unrest of Deborah Samuel on Thursday, May 12, 2022, at the Shehu Shagari College of Education (SSCOE).
It could be recalled that Deborah Samuel, a student of SSCOE, was stoned to death by a mob on the college premises over alleged blasphemy.
The governor who received the recommendation of the committee and heard from several stakeholders and leaders in the state on the need for the college to re-open said his administration will look into the possibility of doing so.
He directed the Governing Council of the SSCOE to convene a meeting with a view to reopening the college soonest.
READ ALSO: Deborah’s killing: Gov. Tambuwal slams Sokoto with 24-hour curfew to stem widespread violent protest
The Governor also assured the people of the state that the government will implement the recommendations of the committee, reiterating his belief that doing so will prevent future reoccurrence not only in the affected college but in all tertiary institutions in the state.
Meanwhile, the governor appealed to the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to find a common ground toward ending the prolonged strike embarked upon by the union.
“No issues are beyond resolution. We must, in the interest of our children and our country, find a common ground,” he advised.
He observed that there is give and take in negotiations, stating that ASUU and the federal government should shift positions and accommodate each other so that students could return to school.
The governor also appealed to the local chapter of the ASUU of Sokoto State University who are in solidarity with the national body to reconsider their position as the state is making efforts to meet all the demands of the union as reasonably as possible, just as the state government has been paying the varsity staff salary regularly.
“You should not be in solidarity with the national body of ASUU since you are not affected by their demands. By expressing solidarity with them you are harming your own students and that solidarity is a very negative one. Please call it off and go back to work,” Tambuwal added.
In his address, the chairman of the 12-man investigation committee of the SSCOE crisis, Engineer Abdullahi Bakale, said the committee has done a thorough investigation of the matter which led them to write a comprehensive report on it.
