Reps summons health, education ministers, ex-princpal over Queens College deaths

The house of Representatives yesterday summoned the Minister of Health Prof Isaac Adewole, Minister of Education Adamu Adamu and the ex-principal to appear before it on the health issues that led to the death of three students in Queens College Yaba Lagos.

The motion sponsored by House Majority Leader Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila, stated that the epidemic breakout in the school which led to 1,222 being affected and 3 dead as reported by media
was due to the contamination of the school source of water.

Parents have earlier accused the former School Principal of trying to drag the name and reputation of the school into mud due through her manner of handling matters. Parents who spoke to the said that the cause of the students’ deaths was due to the cholera outbreak which was caused by the contamination of the school’s water system, a development they said the school authority knew about yet allowed the students to drink and be fed of the contaminated water.

The House

in its resolutions condemned the the alleged impunity by government officials and nonchalant attitude towards the welfare of Nigerians, especially students and directed the officers involved to submit their respective reports to it within two weeks.

The House directed the Health minister to work in tandem with the school management to resolve the epidemic issues in the school and also to ensure that adequate medical attention was made available to save the lives of the students now hospitalized in various hospitals in the country.

It further directed the ministry to take all necessary steps to prevent future occurrences and also bring any personnel, if necessary, to book if any act of negligence was established.

The incident which had been ongoing since December 2016 and has generated a lot of uproar and especially since the deaths of Vivian Osunniyi, Bithia Itulua and now Praise Sodipo are traceable to their exposure to the unhealthy and unhygienic environment of the school.

Hon Gbajabiamila said the school failed to manage the situation by taking appropriate steps, rather the feigned ignorance, concealed the facts claiming there was no outbreak of epidemic or death recorded in the school.

“The case of Praise Sodipo, one of the students who had been in the intensive care unit until she died on March 31, 2017, is even more pathetic as an orphan and the only child of her late parents, meaning that her family lineage had suddenly seized to exist “The current situation in Queens College calls for a state of public health emergency in the Institution as young lives and future leaders have been lost carelessly, with many more endangered, leaving parents in tears and sorrow.’

In light of the stakeholders in the Ministry of Education admitting negligence, Hon Gbajabiamila reiterated that the duty of safeguarding students in a learning environment had been compromised.

Parents of some of the students alleged that the school facilities, especially the toilets, were not properly maintained hence the spread of cholera that killed two students and sickened over 200.