Miss Maria Atere

October 28, 2015
Authorities of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), have described as unfortunate and a great loss, the sad demise of Miss Maria Modupe Atere, a 300-level student in the Department of Plant Physiology and Crop Production, College of Plant Science and Crop Production (COLPLANT) of the University.

According to a statement by Mrs Emi Alawode, Head of the University’s Directorate of Public Relations released today, the 22-year-old student was on a commercial motorcycle when she was knocked down by a car, along the Camp-Alabata road, around the Ogun-Oshun River Basin Development Authority (OORBDA) gate, in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

However, Alawode noted that contrary to what she described as unfounded allegations of negligence made by some individuals against the University, “Atere was never brought to the University Health Centre for treatment, hence, no doctor had the opportunity to quickly examine her and arrive at a decision on the most appropriate form of medical treatment.” Nevertheless, she stated, the University ambulance was despatched to the private clinic at Camp, when a request was made.

She added: “ When the sad incident occurred, some Good Samaritans brought two unidentified victims of the accident to a private clinic at Camp. Miss Atere was later discovered to be one of them. She was given first aid treatment before being referred to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abeokuta, for better medical attention due to the severity of the injuries sustained. Unfortunately, she passed on.”

Meanwhile, the institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Olusola Oyewole, has approved the immediate constitution of a committee to investigate the circumstances that led to the unfortunate incident.
The statement partly reads: “Management sympathises very deeply with family members and the entire University community, praying that the infinite God grants everyone the much needed fortitude to bear this really painful loss.”