ABTU constitutes 7-man committee to probe pedestrian bridge collapse

The Governing Council of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) Bauchi has constituted a seven-man committee to carry out thorough investigation on the causes of the pedestrian bridge collapse that claimed three students.

The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of ATBU, Bauchi, Ambassador Nimota Nihinlola Akanbi, disclosed this to reporters on Friday.

Akanbi, who was accompanied by the Vice Chancellor, Professor Muhammad Abdullazeez and other top officials of the institution, said: “The University has constituted a seven- man committee to carryout a thorough investigation on the causes of the incident, recommend ways to improve safety on the campuses, ways to avert a future occurrence and to submit its report a week from the date of the letter.

“I assure you all that we will do honest, sincere and critical self-examination and appraisal as preliminary road map to preventing future occurrence.

“Our immediate action is to reconstruct the bridge by using reputable engineering firms so as to bestow to the University a bridge of global standard that would withstand torrents of heavy downpour that are direct consequences of global climate change.”

Akanbi also debunked the rumours making the rounds “by a faceless fellow disguising as the SUG President, to the effect that students are required to pay fees for the constitution of the bridge.

“There is nothing like that,” she stated.
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Four students of ATBU drowned when a bridge within the main campus of the university located in Gubi, an outskirt of Bauchi metropolis, collapsed which was confirmed by the management of ATBU.

The incident, which occurred in the wee hours of Monday, also left seven injured

But the management said only three bodies were recovered following a search rescue operation that ended on Wednesday.