500level FUTA student death: NANS recounts how colleagues used flashlight to set up oxygen, Injections

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Friday decried and blamed the avoidable death of Akeredolu Clinton Ayomide, a 500-level Quantity Surveyor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) on the poor state of health facilities at the University.

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NANS in a statement signed by Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, the Vice-President, External Affairs, emphasised that the death of the student could have been averted if the FUTA Health Center Director had been up and doing well in the discharge of his responsibilities.

NANS in the release titled: “The Demise Of Akeredolu Clinton Ayomide(Qsv 500l Student Of Federal University Of Technology Akure, Futa), An Avoidable Loss Due To Negligence And Incompetence-A Call For Mass Action” stated that colleagues that rushed the deceased to the FUTA health center met the hospital without electricity supply as they resorted to the use of flashlight to assist officials to set up oxygen and administer injection on the helpless student who died later.

The statement read in parts, “The demise of a dear student came to us a rude shock. Words cannot express how we are disheartened as a body whose sole and objective is to see to the welfare of Nigerian students.

“We are perplexed and disturbed that an ugly scenario of this nature has reoccurred and the management of the institution (FUTA) alongside the health care unit are yet to see the need to bring an end to this disastrous and wanton destruction of the lives of innocent students.

According to Akintete, the association has lost a student with great potential to the cold hands of death due to the negligence and incompetence of some individuals charged with the responsibility to protect lives.

NANS warns that the association cannot continue to fold its hands without calling the management of the FUTA, and the health center to order as they toil with reckless abandonment with the lives of students put in their care.

“To our greatest dismay and based on a thorough examination and assessment of the situation, we have realized that the FUTA health care center, a supposed teaching hospital is nothing to write home about. Facilities at the center cannot save lives or meet emergency needs.

“It is also on record that as of the time the deceased was rushed to the school health center, there was a power outage and students had to use the flashlights to enable the setup of oxygen and injections.

“There is no backup at the institution’s health care center that’s supposed to run for 24 hours and 7 days weekly. This is worrisome and only shows the level of negligence of the institution in healthcare provision.”

NANS expressed disgust that the health center no longer dispenses prescribed drugs, saying the action of students to protest poor treatment at the health center has always been with the unwillingness of the Director to make amend but call the bluff of the aggrieved patients.

NANS in the statement recalled the death of an international student due to the carefree attitude and negligence of the people that are supposed to provide treatment.

In solidarity with the FUTA students, the association has called for mass action to force the Health Center Director to resign.

He added, “Consequently, we beckon on the Zonal Structure of NANS (Southwest) and Ondo JCC to prepare for mass action on Tuesday 29th of August 2023 as we ground FUTA north and South states should our demands are not met within the timeframe of next 72 hours by FUTA Management

Consequently, we beckon on the Zonal Structure of NANS(Southwest) and Ondo JCC to prepare for mass action on Tuesday 29th of August 2023 as we ground down FUTA north and South Gate should our demands are not met within the timeframe of the next 72 hours by FUTA Management

To this effect, in solidarity, the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students(NANS) calls for mass action against this inhumane and callous act demanding for the resignation of the healthcare Director/his suspension be effected and for the management of FUTA to properly and effectively equip the University’s health center in the next 72- hours to averting further occurrence.

“Consequently, we beckon on the Zonal Structure of NANS(Southwest) and Ondo JCC to prepare for a mass action on Tuesday 29th of August 2023 as we ground down FUTA north and South Gate should our demands are not met within the timeframe of next 72 hours by FUTA Management. “