Branches of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, on Sunday assessed COVID-19 protocols in the universities and said the institutions were not ready for safe reopening.
The chapters of the union, in separate interviews with journalists, commented on the directive of the National Universities Commission that universities could resume on January 18, but must adhere to COVID-19 protocols in hostels and lecture halls.
ASUU said although its members were ready to start work, 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.
The union Chairman at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Osun State, Dr. Adeola Egbedokun, in an interview with one of our correspondents, said 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.
No preparation for COVID-19 protocols insist on safe reopening, OAU ASUU tells parents
He said, “COVID-19 is very real and this second wave is as real as described. We cannot afford to toy with our health and the health of our dear students in the name of resumption, which is politically motivated.
“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.”
But the OAU spokesperson, Abiodun Olanrewaju, said the university management was ready for the resumption and had put in place “a lot in relation to the COVID-19 protocols” in a bid to ensure safety.
Holding physical lectures now will be disastrous, says FUNAAB ASUU
ASUU at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta said the university was not ready to cope with COVID-19 challenges.
The Chairman of ASUU-FUNAAB, Dr Adebayo Oni, in an interview with one of our correspondents on Sunday, stated, “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 sanitizers? Do you expect lecturers to provide sanitizers for themselves?
“Fumigation of the environment from time to time should be done, How do you cope with students surge and the challenge of a power supply ?”
Oni said the union had observed that conducting physical lectures with students would be more disastrous.
He described as alarming, the figure of COVID-19. He said, “It is definitely a threat to the resumption of academic activities.
“The fact is that under this circumstance and looking at the threat of the figure, going physical with students would be more disastrous. Conducting physical sessions, physical lectures with students would be more disastrous.
“The truth of the matter is that we now propose a mixed model of online teaching and probably some level of physical teachings.
“Even the online teaching also comes with its own facilities which are not readily available.
“We don’t want to be pessimistic to say that it is not going to be workable. However, it is going to be at the risk of our lives and the lives of our students if the required facilities are not provided by the government.
“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.”
UNILAG Senate decides resumption date Wednesday
But Registrar of the University of Lagos, Mr Oladejo Azeez, said the decision on resumption of academic activities would be taken by the school’s Senate on Wednesday.
Azeez in an interview with newsmen 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.”
The management of the University of Ibadan said everything would be done to ensure that there was no spike in cases of COVID-19 among students and staff.
The Director of Public Communication of the university, Mr Olatunji Oladejo, said this in an interview with one of our correspondents in Ibadan on Sunday.
But ASUU Chairman at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Dr Abubakar Sabo, said he doubted if universities in Nigeria could meet the guidelines for preventing COVID-19.
Abubakar, who spoke to one of our correspondents in Sokoto, stated that he was not aware of measures being put in place by the management of the UDUD 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.”
