Adefioye Iyunade
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Ibadan Chapter, through Its chairman, Prof. Ayo Akinwole,
has warned against the reopening of schools without provisions for schools to meet COVID-19 precautionary guidelines.
Akinwole stated that the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on schools could be enormous if responsibility was not taken to ensure safety.
He warned that no pecuniary gains would be more than the lives of lecturers and their students.
Akinwole noted that before COVID-19 pandemic, public varsities were overcrowded with students and hostel facilities took more than its capacity.
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He then warned parents not to jubilate at the news of a possible reopening of schools.
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However, they should ask the government to put measures in place so as not to have a surge in COVID-19 that might happen as a result of ill-thought-out reopening, he said.
He said that the union was aware that there had been agitations from some quarters for the government to reopen schools.
He said that those leading the campaign are the proprietors of private universities.
He said, “ASUU is not in any way opposed to this call.
“However, Nigerians should honestly interrogate this position. Has the Nigerian government met the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) criteria on COVID – 19 protocols in our institutions?
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“COVID-19 pandemic is still very much with us. It is in recognition of this fact that the government itself has rolled out certain conditions to be met before schools are reopened.”
According to the ASUU chairman, “How many of our public institutions can confidently vouch for the safety of our children given the available facilities such as the provision of running water for handwashing and social distancing among students?”
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