UPDATE: Borno Government Queries Nursing College Provost For Suspending 30 Students For Not Welcoming Buhari

The Borno State government has issued a query to the provost, College of Nursing and Midwifery, Rukaiya Shettima Mustapha, for suspending some students under the claim that they failed to join others, in welcoming President Muhammadu Buhari on June 17 in Maiduguri.

SaharaReporters had on Thursday reported how about 30 students of the institution were suspended for one week from June 21 to June 28 for failing to welcome the President.

They were also asked to report back to the college along with their parents or guardians.

“You are hereby suspended from the college for one week with effect from today 21st June 2021 for disobedience of executive order to welcome the President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari GCFR, GCON (on the 17th of June 2021).

“You are expected to report back to college on the 28th of June 2021 along with your parent or guardian,” the letter issued to the affected students had read.

Reacting in a statement obtained by SaharaReporters on Friday, the state Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Juliana Bitrus described the provost of the institution as being mischievous against the government.

Bitrus added that Rukaiya acted on her own, without recourse to any official at her supervising ministry and any directives from anyone in the government.

In the query with reference number MOH/PER/752 V.I and dated June 25, the commissioner demanded that the provost responds within 48 hours, to advance compelling reasons why disciplinary action should not be meted out to her.

She said while Borno has about eight state-owned tertiary institutions, it was curious that it was only at the college of nursing and Midwifery that students were suspended, including with signed letters addressed to them, in an apparent effort to embarrass the state government.

The commissioner said even though it is a normal practice for students to join in welcoming visiting Presidents all over Nigeria, such acts are voluntary.

Bitrus observed that in any case, the student population is far lesser than the number of residents who trooped out to welcome the President from across Maiduguri.

The commissioner said the ministry was shocked to hear about the action taken by the provost, and hence took time to investigate and confirm the act before issuing its query.

The commissioner expressed concern that the provost may have simply used the president’s visit to get at some students she might have had problems with.

Bitrus noted that Heads of States and Presidents have been visiting Borno since 1976, and students join other residents in welcoming them, but that no one ever expects 100 per cent compliance in any public mobilisation.

She asked why it was not the Borno State University, which Buhari inaugurated that raised such an issue.

SaharaReporters had earlier reported that the management of the College of Nursing and Midwifery lifted the suspension on the students who allegedly refused to welcome President  Buhari when he visited the state on June 17.

A staff member of the institution confirmed to SaharaReporters on Friday that the students have been recalled.

“Thank you so much SaharaReporters; the issue has been resolved. A stakeholders’ meeting was called and the suspension was cancelled.

“In fact, the governor (Babagana Zulum) was very angry because he wasn’t aware of such thing. He called the provost and ordered him to recall the students,” the source said.