Twenty-two persons reportedly died in the incident.

An education group under the umbrella of Save Public Education Campaign (SPEC Nigeria) has blamed the school building collapse incident at Little Saints Academy in Busa-Buji, Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State on regulatory and compliance violations.

The group called on Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s administration to bring the people involved in the collapse of the two-storey school building on Friday to justice.

Twenty-two persons reportedly died in the incident

The SPEC Nigeria made the demand in a statement issued by its Coordinator, Comrade, Vivian Bello.

Bello expressed deep shock and sadness at the tragic incident, saying that The SPEC Nigeria considered the incident as a monumental disaster, especially in view of the category of persons involved – young underage schoolchildren.

According to the Coordinator, The SPEC Nigeria also intrinsically noted that the tragic incident was avoidable.

Bello said, “We at the Save-Public-Education-Campaign, have severally reiterated the need for governments at all levels in Nigeria to ensure that education space, schools do not become an unsafe space for innocent students seeking education and proper molding in both training and character.

“And therefore, to think that authorities in a state as Plateau will fold its hands, look the other way round, or possibly even collude and have private individuals and building contractors compromise regulations and expressly put the lives of innocent children and teachers on the line of danger and ultimately, death.

“Going by the admission of the State Government itself, there were negligence and compromise both by regulatory authorities as well as private owners and actors, which stand out prominently in the tragedy that occurred.

“These acts are purely criminal in nature and we demand thorough investigation and prosecution of all who were involved in this.

“We commiserate with the families and relatives of the affected children and teachers, as well as the entire school community and people of Plateau State over the distressing incident.

“We urge them to take solace in the fact that these great kids and their teachers died in the course of improving themselves so as to add value to their society, the country and humanity at large. They therefore did not die in vain.

“The SPEC again raises the alarm and roundly condemned the act of government leaving the educational sector to the whims and caprices of private owners whose interest is solely centered on profit maximization at the detriment of student’s safety, sound as well as quality education.

“Education is a basic right, guaranteed to every Nigerian child by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“To therefore treat this very fundamental right with levity, as being witnessed in the country presently, is a gross abuse of the rights of the Nigerian child and we condemn this in totality.

“At the Save-Public-Education-Campaign, our hearts are heavy as we join these bereaved families to mourn the untimely and avoidable death of these school kids.

“We strongly urge the government to use this as a springboard, to immediately rise to its duties in the educational sector by prioritising adequate budgetary funding of the educational sector in line UNESCO recommendations, improve the standard of structures and quality of learning in schools

“We make clear that building collapse in the country has become a growing concern and a clear threat to public safety and therefore requires immediate attention and action from all the relevant safety as well as building regulators and agencies, etc., to rise to the occasion and find a lasting solution to the menace.”

Bello said that appropriate sanction, including jail terms should also be meted out to individuals, developers, or public officials who engage in compromising laid-down standards and regulations in building construction for illicit gains.

According to the coordinator, this will go a long way in helping to restore the integrity of structural constructions and guard against undue loss of innocent lives and property.