The office of Remi Tinubu, the first lady, has responded to the controversy surrounding her visit to the Delta State College of Nursing Sciences.
Earlier, the management of the nursing school had queried a
student for filming a now-viral video showing her peers appearing to reject the
description of the first lady as a “national mother”.
Remi Tinubu, on March 27, was at the Dome Event Centre in
Asaba for a solidarity programme targeted at healthcare workers in Delta.
At the programme, spearheaded by the first lady, 10,000 kits
were to be distributed to midwives in the south-south geopolitical zone.
During the ceremony, the event host introduced the first
lady using a customary title that referred to her in Pidgin as “our mama”.
Instead of agreeing, the students responded in unison by
singing, “na your mama be this,” which translates to “she’s your own mother”.
The nursing school had accused the student who filmed it of
engaging in a “malicious act” in a query letter it subsequently withdrew.
A statement signed by Busola Kukoyi, senior special
assistant on media to the first lady, has now acknowledged the video’s
circulation.
It, however, described the students’ chants as a
“spontaneous and playful twist” to the welcome song.
The statement also noted that Remi Tinubu “appreciates the
warm reception” from the Delta state government, the people of Delta, and the
healthcare professionals at the event.
While recognising the institution’s right to enforce
discipline, the first lady’s office emphasised the importance of allowing
students to express themselves in a safe and supportive academic environment.
It urged the Delta State College of Nursing Sciences to
approach the matter with “fairness and understanding”, ensuring a “balance
between discipline and free expression”.
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