Branches of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Sunday, revealed that the federal universities are not ready for safe reopening. They made this statement after evaluating the COVID-19 protocols in the universities.
BizWatch Nigeria had reported that the National Universities Commission (NUC) has given universities the green light to resume on January 18, ASUU reflected on this in an interview with The Punch saying that its members were ready to start work, however, the government had not put measures in place for the safe reopening of the schools.
ASUU’s concern came amid coronavirus cases and deaths, which rose to 99,063 and 1,350 respectively on Saturday.
Classrooms And Hostels Do Not Conform With COVID-19 Protocols – OAU Chairman
The union Chairman at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Osun State, Dr Adeola Egbedokun, in an interview with The Punch, said the classroom and hostel situations in universities did not in any way conform with COVID-19 protocols.
Egbedokun further said no preparations had been made so far for the safe re-opening of the universities and urged parents to insist on safety before re-opening.
Egbedokun said that “There are no preparations for safe re-opening of the universities and I think parents must insist on safe re-opening. The current classroom and hostel configurations in our universities do not in any way conform with the PTF (Presidential Task Force) on COVID-19 protocols.
There is no way universities can achieve that. I have said this elsewhere, that rather than for the government to have addressed the obvious deficits in the public universities during the lockdown and strike, they were playing to the gallery.”
FUNAAB Not Able To Cope With COVID-19 Challenges
ASUU at the Federal University of Agriculture (FUNAAB), Abeokuta said the university was not ready to cope with COVID-19 challenges.
The Chairman of ASUU-FUNAAB, Dr Adebayo Oni, in an interview, said that “The lectures halls are overcrowded. As of today, in my own campus, I have not seen any facility for hand washing Who is to provide sanitisers? Do you expect lecturers to provide sanitisers for themselves?”
“The truth is that the facilities to cope with the pandemic are not available in our institutions. It appears the government is not ready and our institutions are not helpful.”
ABTU: No Sign of Seriousness in Handling COVID-19
The chairman of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) branch of ASUU, Dr Musa Babayo, revealed that the government and institutions did not show any sign of seriousness in handling COVID-19 issues when the union was on strike.
He said that ASUU in the ATBU had yet to see any tangible improvement in students’ hostel accommodation, classrooms and other things needed for COVID-19 protocols.
Babayo stated that if the Federal Government had made funds to universities, proper arrangements for the protocols would have been made by the institutions.
UNIJOS Concerned About Second Wave of COVID-19
The Chairman of ASUU at the University of Jos, Dr Lazarus Maigoro, revealed in an interview with The Punch that the association was concerned about the second wave of COVID-19.
He urged the management of the university to ensure compliance with COVID-19 protocols on resumption.
Maigoro who expressed concern over the second wave of COVID-19 said his members expected the university authority to comply with the COVID-19 protocols to contain the spread of the disease in the institution
On Monday (today), the Senate of UNIJOS will hold a meeting to decide whether the institution will reopen for academic activities on January 18, 2021.
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We Will Not Expose Our Members To Health Hazards – UNICAL ASUU
At the University of Calabar, the union Chairman, Dr John Edor, told The PUNCH that the association would not allow its members to be exposed to health hazards.
Edor stated, “As a union, we are not too quick to talk. We are not too fast to become meddlesome. They have said schools are permitted to resume on the 18th of January, 2021. If by then we see that the necessary things are not put in place for the resumption, the union will come up with a position because we are not ready to expose our members to health hazards.
“That was why we went on strike, asking for the revitalisation of public universities. Revitalisation simply means conducive theatres, conducive hostels, offices, laboratories and libraries.
“That is why we are saying let us wait till 18th of January and see how prepared Nigerian public universities are in the face of the second wave of COVID-19 which has come up with a more ferocious variant.”
At the University of Port Harcourt, ASUU Chairman, Dr Austen Sado, said there would be a spike in coronavirus cases.
UNIPORT ASUU Chairman Predicts Spike in COVID-19 Cases
At the University of Port Harcourt, ASUU Chairman, Dr Austen Sado, said there would be a spike in coronavirus cases.
He stated, “We have not been invited to inspect any facility in order to determine its suitability. So, we will wait until we get clarification on the resumption, then we will know whether there are things to contend with.”
Asked if he feared a spike ahead of the school resumption, he said he had seen some measures put in place by the university, but that the possibility of an increase in cases existed.
UNIPORT Directs Students To Resume January 27
The university had directed students to resume on January 27, saying appropriate measures had been put in place to check the spread of COVID-19 in the classrooms and hostels.
The Public Relations Officer of the university, Sammy Kpenu who disclosed this, said one of such measures was the purchase of 400 thermometers to check temperatures.
UNILAG Senate To Decide Resumption Date on Wednesday
Mr Oladejo Azeez, the Registrar of University of Lagos (UNILAG), said the senate would on Wednesday decide the resumption of academic activities.
Azeez in an interview with The Punch, said the Senate would meet virtually on Wednesday to discuss and decide on the modalities of students’ resumption and academic activities.
He said, “Irrespective of what the Federal Government has said, the resumption of students or of academic activities is the prerogative of Senate. Senate of the university will decide and the meeting of the Senate is coming up on Wednesday; a virtual meeting. The law places this in the hands of the Senate and until Senate meets, there is no way anybody can say anything on resumption.”
COVID-19: UI Vows To Protect Staff and Students
Mr Olatunji Oladejo, the Director of Public Communication of the University of Ibadan (UI), said in an interview with The Punch that; “The management of the University of Ibadan (UI) will ensure that everything would be done to ensure that there was no spike in cases of COVID-19 among its students and staff”.
Usmanu Danfodiyo University
Dr Abubakar Sabo, the ASUU Chairman at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, said he doubted if universities in Nigeria could meet the guidelines for preventing COVID-19.
Abubakar stated that he was not aware of measures being put in place by the management of the university towards the resumption date.
“The Federal Government and university authorities must ensure that there is no spike on our campuses. I have doubt, if our universities can meet up with the standard and best practices to check the pandemic.”
No Measures Have Been Put In Place – ABU ASUU
Although members of the Ahmadu Bello University ( branch of ASUU said they are were ready to work, they have not seen any measure put in place by the university.
Prof. Rabiu Nasiru, ABU’s ASUU Chairman, told The Punch during an interview that the lecturers are ready to go back to work.
He, however, expressed concern that no adequate measures had so far been taken by the ABU management against the spread of COVID-19 in the university.
He also revealed that the Senate would be meeting on Tuesday.
He said, “I have not seen any measure taken so far by the management of ABU, but since the senate of the university is meeting on Tuesday, once Senate meets, I know those issues will be raised and it will be discussed. But for now, I have not seen any measure taken.”
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