Alleged Blasphemy: Tambuwal Receives Investigative C’tee’s Report

Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State has received the report of an investigative committee set up by the state government to investigate the May 12, 2022 students unrest at the Shehu Shagari College of Education (SSCOE) in Sokoto.

Recall that, a student of the College, Deborah Samuel, was killed by a mob in the College premises over alleged blasphemy.

In the same breath, 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.

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He also directed the Governing Council of the SSCOE to convene a meeting with a view to reopening the College soonest.

The governor also assured the people of the state that the State government will implement the recommendations of the committee, reiterating his belief that doing so will prevent future reoccurrence of incident not only in the affected college but in all tertiary institutions in the state.

Meanwhile, the governor has appealed to the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to find a common ground towards 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,” Tambuwal 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 appealed to the local chapter of the 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.

“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.

Earlier, in his address, 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.