COVID-19: ASUU Donates Intervention Materials To Ogun Government

By ABIODUN JIMOH, ABEOKUTA

In spite of not being paid salaries for months, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Wednesday donated intervention materials to Ogun State government as part of the Union bid to support in the fight against deadly Coronavirus pandemic.

The Union led by its National President, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi were received by the Deputy Governor’s, Engr. Noimot Salako-Oyedele in her office, Oke-Imosan, Abeokuta, where a total of 1,000 pieces of 125ml bottled hand sanitizers were presented to the state government.

Professor Ogunyemi in his address hinted that last month, ASUU directed all its 70 branches and 13 zones to play active role in the fight against the spread of the dreaded coronavirus (COVID-19) in Nigeria.

He said: “Between then and now, our branches/zones have been involved in the production, presentation and distribution of information, education and communication (IEC) materials, hand sanitizers, facilities for hand washing, among others in not less than 20 states of the federation.

“Besides, medical and paramedical members of ASUU are equally involved in providing frontline services at the isolation centres within and outside teaching hospitals nationwide.

“The COVID-19 pandemic poses a real threat to our collective survival. It is a threat which calls to test our sense of common humanity.

“ASUU fully subscribes to prevention as a major plank of the fight against COVID-19 in Ogun State and Nigeria. As the saying goes, prevention is better and cheaper than cure. So, through it, we can fight together and push back the dreaded virus from our land.”

Furthermore, he revealed that the donation of some items to the Ogun State government was a practical demonstration of that belief.

“If sufficiently empowered, Nigerian biomedical scientists, behavioural scientists and others Nigerian scholars, like their peers elsewhere, can conduct cutting edge research into the human and biological dimensions of COVID-19. Who says the vaccine to coronavirus cannot come out of Nigeria.

“We therefore hope Nigerian governments, at state and federal levels, will continue to encourage and support university scholars to all institutional and professional-related encumbrances that currently make them less productive.”

However, he stressed that one major lesson Nigeria stands to learn from this experience is that investment in education yields immeasurable dividends. Public education and public health are inseparable.

“For instance, conscious and determined investment in university education at national and sub-national levels would give our country quality medical scientists, behavioural scientists, creative scholars and other creams of informed citizens who can respond intelligently to challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic.

“ASUU’s current strike and FGN’s response
Your Excellency, I wish to place on record that ASUU decided to free out members for participation in COVID-19 control efforts, in spite of our ongoing nationwide strike action, to demonstrate our concern for the health and wellbeing of Nigerians.

“To achieve better results, we believe Nigerian governments at the federal and state levels need to work with public intellectuals and patriotic trade unions like ASUU.

“We also believe such collaborative efforts should be channelled towards addressing issues of funding, conditions of service, academic freedom and university autonomy, and other matters which are germane to repositioning Nigerian universities for global competitiveness,” he opined.

Speaking on behalf of the government, the deputy governor, Engineer Salako-Oyedele appreciated ASUU’s support to the state government in its efforts at overcoming the dreaded disease.

The deputy governor stated that the Prince Dapo Abiodun led administration would leave no stone unturned towards curtailing the spread of the pandemic in the state.

She disclosed that the state has started rigorous campaign and enlightenment at the border communities towards preventing escalation of the pandemic.