By Solomon Attah,
Lafia
The former Radio and Television studio of Mass Communication sitauted at the Facility of Art Nasarawa state University, keffi gulted by fire yesterday.
There were equipment bought during the acreditation exercise running into millions of naira: tie Television camera, Video data machine and edidting suite and it her valuables was destroyed.
The incident which occurred and lasted for about two hours, from 11:15 to 1:30 there about, started from the old studio which kept spreading to other offices.
The fire incident, however, partly grounded administrative and academic activities in the University, Amidst fire in some quarters of stdudents result sheet, examination scripts and other valuables possibly missing.
The fire gulted the faculty three days after Governor Umaru Tanko Almakura, the Governor-elect, Engr. Abdullahi Sule and other top government functionaries were in the university to commission the newly built studio for the Mass Communication Department
Before the only school water tank with water therein could come in assistance, stdudents and some staff of the university are seen evacuating valuables from the faculty to resuce lost.
The water in the tank which got finished, went for the second time to get more water while the fire keeps spreading to other offices in the faculty.
The second coming of the water tank went along way to bring the situation under control, as students and security personnel of the institutions relentlessly contributed in mitigating the spread of the fire.
The vice Chancelor of the university, Professor Suleiman Bala-Mohammed along with other management staff were seen making contacts from the Nyanya Fire service.
It was unfortunate that, in the whole keffi local government, including the 177 guard battalion (barracks) and the university have no fire fighting Facilities to cushion the situation.
The vice Chancellor had to persuade the GOC of 177 guard battalion to help the university with their water tank to compliment that of the university and one other from keffi town which quell the fire.
Even some of the hand fire extinguishers brought from other faculties and office within the institution were said to be expired.
One of the air conditioners which alomost exploded was able to be brought into control.
Meanwhile, the registratrar of the university, Bala Ahmed had directed the chief security officer of the school, on the order of the vice Chancellor, to ensure adequate security of the school properties to avoid any student taking advantage of the situation to run away with the school properties.
The management of the University had to out calls from the fire fighters from Abuja and Akwanga to go back as the fire incident was successfully brought under control.
Our reporter who was at the scene of the incident gathered that, the Director General of the fire service in the country had given his word, as part of his commitment to access the situation to forestall further occurrence.
The vice Chancellor, Professor Suleiman Bala-Mohammed thanked the students in particular for the effort put in calming the situation.
The VC who described the incident as unfortunate said, measure would be taking to ensure that they mitigate the Consequences of the outbreak.
He called for understanding from the students and staff, especially those from the facility of arts for the inconveniences caused as result of the fire.
He hope that, this would be the first and last in the University, assuring that. “we will try to put our own measure also but right now we cannot speak with surety of the causes other out break”.
He said, “there are alot of speculation but when the dust is settled, we will get correct information in times of the causes and the nature and the consequences.”
END