The Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal has received the report of an investigative committee set up by the state government to investigate the killing of Deborah Samuel on May 12, 2022 for alleged blasphemy by students of Shehu Shagari College of Education (SSCOE) in Sokoto.
Basic Facts
- Deborah Samuel, a student of the school was killed by some students in the College premises over alleged blasphemy.
- Receiving the report, the governor said having received the recommendations of the committee and heard from several stakeholders and leaders in the state on the need for the College to be reopened, his administration will look into the possibility of doing so.
- Governor Tambuwal also directed the Governing Council of the SSCOE to convene a meeting with a view to reopening the College soonest.
- The Sokoto State governor and former PDP presidential aspirant in the party’s last primaries, assured the Sokoto State residents that the State government will implement the recommendations of the committee.
- Tambuwal, reaffirmed his belief that doing so will prevent future reoccurrence of incident not only in the affected college but also in all tertiary institutions in the state.
- Speaking earlier, the chairman of the 12-man investigative committee on the SSCOE crisis, Engineer Abdullah Bakale, said the committee has done thorough investigation of the incident, which led them to write a comprehensive report on the matter.
Appeal to ASUU
The governor also used the occasion to appeal to the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities ASUU to end the over 5 months strike embarked upon by the university lecturers.
Tambuwal said “No issues are beyond resolution. We must, in the interest of our children and our country, find a common ground”
He further noted 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.
Governor Tambuwal, particularly appealed to ASUU in the Sokoto State University, which is in solidarity with the national body, to reconsider its position as the state was making efforts to meet all the demands of the union as reasonably as possible, just as the state government has been paying the University staff salaries regularly.
Notable Quotes
“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 said.
Catch-up
Calriform recalls that Deborah Samuel was killed in the premises of her school over chats in a WhatsApp group which was considered blasphemous by some fanatic Moslem students of school.
The family of the late Deborah Samuel has since been relocated to Port Harcourt, Rivers State by the Pastor of Omega Power Ministry (OPM), Apostle Chjbuzor Chinyere.
Clariform has also reported that following the repeated attacks and killing of Christians in Nigeria, a group of United State senators are asking that Nigeria be re-designate as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) by the US government.
