OOU student dies after falling from a campus shuttle, lectures suspended
The students' union says the 200-level student fell from a moving shuttle bus; it has raised concerns about the driver's conduct and the response at the health centre.
A 200-level student of Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, has died after reportedly falling from a moving campus shuttle bus, and the university has suspended lectures and other academic activities for two days.
The Students' Union Government said in a statement signed by its President, Kehinde Bamgbose, General Secretary Olajire Emmanuel and Public Relations Officer Olamide Salau that the incident happened on Tuesday, November 10, near the university gate, after passengers got off the shuttle and were preparing to board again. His identity had not been confirmed when the reports were published.
According to the union, a person who was not supposed to be on the bus took the seat the student had been using, and a disagreement followed. The union alleges that the driver told the student to hold on to the moving vehicle so the journey could continue. It said he fell before the bus reached Mosque Junction and became unconscious, and was taken to the university's Mini Campus Health Centre.
The union further alleges that he was asked to present his student identification card before he was treated. "In an emergency, the preservation of human life must take precedence over administrative requirements," its statement said. It called for an investigation into that claim.
Describing the reported instruction to the student as unacceptable, dangerous and a gross violation of basic transportation safety standards, the union said no student should be exposed to such risks on campus transport. It added that the police had intervened and the driver was with the relevant authorities, and that it would let the investigation take its course while asking that anyone found responsible be held accountable.
The union said it had repeatedly raised concerns with stakeholders about the conduct of some shuttle drivers, reckless driving and disregard for passenger safety.
Vanguard reported that the university management suspended lectures and other academic activities for two days after the incident. The union said that, while the investigation runs, it expects anyone found responsible to be held accountable, and that campus transport safety should be enforced so that no other student is put at risk.
SOURCE: Vanguard
