By Abdallah el-Kurebe

The death of a national diploma student of the Polytechnic of Sokoto State in the early hours of Saturday, Muyideen Salawu has been attributed to acute malaria.

Rector of the Polytechnic, Prof. Aminu Ibrahim spoke in Sokoto on Saturday against a peaceful demonstration by students of the polytechnic, who allege that the lack of adequate water and electricity supply as well as non functional clinic, were responsible to the student’s death.

According to him, “It is untrue that the student died due a waterborne disease. Malaria was the cause of his death. Our clinic is fully functional and he was admitted in the clinic  on Friday, from where he was referred to Lafiya clinic,” the Rector said adding that, “All our students are covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) at the clinic and we also make referrals to the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto (UDUS).”

Ibrahim further said that the school had both solar-powered boreholes apart from water-pumping generators from where neighbouring communities draw their water. “Neighbouring communities even fetching water from the school’s water system. The issue of light is a national one and not peculiar to the polytechnic alone, but we have functional generators powered by diesel.

The Rector however said that the management of the school had set up a 12-man committee to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the demonstration. “I will be guided by the findings of the committee  and we will never toy with the welfare and security of the students,” Ibrahim said.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Sokoto state Police Command, El-Mustapha Sani said that the demonstration had been brought under control and that the incident was being investigated.