Students of Federal Government College, Keffi will not write first term examinations following the loss of two female hostels to fire, its Acting Principal, Babatunde Usuma, has said.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the fire, which started at 7.45 p.m. on Sunday, raged on till Monday morning.
A correspondent, who visited the school Monday morning, found smoke still billowing from the burning structure.
Reacting to the incident, Mr. Usuma told NAN that the school had cancelled the first term examinations earlier slated to begin on Monday.
“The first term examination has been cancelled, but the school will not be closed down in spite of the unfortunate incident,” Mr. Usman said in a telephone interview.
He said that the school had assessed the situation and resolved to continue classes.
“God is in control; we are taking urgent measures to calm the situation. But what is certain is that we shall not close down the institution,” he told NAN.
Mr. Usuma, who was in Kano attending a meeting of principals of unity schools when the inferno gutted the hostels, said he was on his way to back Keffi to personally assess the situation.
“We can cope. We have sent messages to parents of affected students and advised them to visit the school to see their children. “The school’s chapter of the PTA has agreed to buy new exercise books for students affected. We expect the students to use the remaining period of the term to copy notes lost in the inferno,” he said.
He said that parents of affected students had also be told to “buy basic items” for them to enable them cope before the end of the term next month.
The Principal said that the resolutions of the management was still subject to approval by the Federal Ministry of Education.
Mr. Usuma said that the fire started when the students were in the dining hall for dinner.
“The students were eating in the dining hall when electricity was restored. “From the report I received, there was a sudden spark which was followed by flames,” he said.
He said that no life was lost; adding, however, that the entire structure was destroyed.
“It is an unfortunate situation, but every staff is on ground to salvage the situation and calm the traumatised students,” he said.(NAN)
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