Controversy trails Buhari’s visit to Borno, students suspended

Borno State College of Nursing and Midwifery is currently enmeshed in political crisis, following the suspension of 20 students for allegedly refusing to welcome President Muhammadu Buhari during his one-day visit to the state.

The refusal by the students to join the welcome party, if true, will be the second time President Buhari will be scorned by some residents of the state, terrorised by Boko Haram.

In February of 2020, the president’s motorcade was booed as it sped through a road in Maiduguri, capital of Borno.

But Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, accused unnamed opposition politicians of paying miscreants to boo the presidential motorcade.

“I was part of the delegation that entered Maiduguri right from the airport to the palace of the Shehu of Borno. The people came out to say thank you and welcome us.

“But there was a group which came out shouting ‘we don’t want’,” Shehu narrated, adding, maybe “some politicians gathered some miscreants and paid them money to boo Buhari”.

Last week, President Buhari was in Borno on one day official visit. He visited with troops fighting insurgency in the North East and also commissioned projects executed by Governor Babagana Zulum.

During the visit, residents lined up on the streets to welcome him.

However, according to Daily Trust, exactly one week after the visit, a letter on the sanction imposed on students who reportedly ignored the directive to welcome the president trended on social media.

READ: Presidency blames Buhari booing in Borno on political opponents

In the letter, the students were notified of a week suspension from June 21 to June 28 for disobedience.

“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 read.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, one of the students who participated in welcoming the president, said they were kept in the sun for hours.

The student added that some of them got tired of standing and left while some married ones among them left to pick their children from schools.

The source added that most of the affected students were nursing mothers who could not wait until the end of the reception.

But the Provost of the institution, Hajiya Rukaya Shettima, who confirmed that some students were suspended, said it was not because they did not welcome the president.

She said the students were suspended because of their “notorious persistent disobedience” to instruction and orders of the school management.

“It is not true and it is not everything on social media that is true. What actually happened was that some of the suspended students have been notorious in disobeying rules and regulations of the College. And don’t forget that they are here for both character and learning.

READ: Army foils Boko Haram attack, kills 6 terrorists

“Some of them on several occasions absconded from the hospitals they were posted for clinical trainings while others are in the habit of late coming to classes.

“So, on the day of the President’s visit, you remember that the state governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, came out on air and asked citizens to give a rousing welcome to the president.

“So, in the afternoon, we all came out, but before going, we exempted pregnant, breastfeeding mothers and sick ones among the students. But while the students were going out to cheer the President, some others sneaked back to their hostels. So, when we discovered this and took a roll call, we discovered that they were the same students having previous issues of disobedience with the school Management.

“So, a disciplinary Committee was set up and they recommended suspension of the students over their unbecoming behaviour and disregard to school orders, and not because they refused to welcome the President.”

But in what appeared as contradiction, the provost said the suspended students were recalled when she sensed political undertone.

“The moment I saw the letter stating that they were suspended for not filing out to welcome the president, I sensed that politics have crept in to the matter hence, I ordered for the immediate recall of the students. So, the students have been recalled,” she added.