The leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has expressed mixed feelings over the reopening of Universities across the country.
Speaking through the National President, Biodun Ogunyemi in Abuja on Tuesday, he revealed that the NUC and the government were yet to enforce all Covid guidelines in the universities.
Ogunyemi also stated that there was no way to guarantee social distancing in crowded classes and congested hostels and advised the government to visit all Universities in the country to ensure protocols are in place just like it did in the aviation sector.
He said, “We have not seen government and university authorities taking concrete steps to access the level of safety for our members and our students.
“In as much as we are ready to go back, we are ready to put in extra efforts but it appears that government is not doing enough to address the two emergencies that we have – the emergency in the health sector as well as the emergency in the educational sector.
“Take for instance, how can we ensure or assure social distancing in crowded classes and congested hostels? Our hostels, are they fumigated? The classrooms, what flexible arrangements should be in place? I’m not sure universities can cope.”
He added that the safety of university lecturers and students is a priority, adding that the union is worried that university professors are dying of COVID-19.
The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 subsequently ordered schools to remain closed till January 18, 2021, to contain the spike in COVID-19 infections in the country. The National Universities Commission later asked universities to comply with the directive but the PTF on Monday said the January 18 date is subject to review.
Source: Punch
